Bow and Ears
by WheresDaBeef
Summary: "How was she going to get out of this? She stared at the pile of crumbled stone in front of her and began to formulate a plan. But just as she began racking her brain for ideas, a large, gloved hand gently touched her shoulder." After being separated from her brothers in an earthquake, Dot finds an unlikely friend in history's most famous rabbit.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! I'm glad you've clicked on my story!**

 **I've decided to write a relationship (completely platonic, mind you) between Dot Warner and Bugs Bunny, since I haven't really seen a story between them on this site. T** **his story is based around the events of an earthquake that resembles one that occurred in 1994, but isn't that one in particular. In fact, I might have exaggerated what could happen during an earthquake quite a bit, so if it doesn't seem believable then it probably isn't.**

 **Now I'm not going to beg you for reviews, but they would be appreciated. I feel like I'm a decent writer, but I definitely have tons to learn. I have the gist of the story in my head, but I'm open to any suggestions. And also, please don't be too harsh. I'm a big girl and I can handle myself, but unnecessary negativity is really not needed. So if you do have a critique (which I definitely do want to hear), please be nice.**

 **And finally, my update times are probably going to be a bit iffy. I have a very busy schedule, and the school year is a tough time for me to update. So I'm warning you now that you may get two updates in a week or one update in two months. But I promise you that I will not abandon this story. Please hold me up to that promise if I don't update for a while. I want to see the end of this as much as you do.**

* * *

Dot pulled the fluffy comforter up to her chin. She was surrounded by at least a half a dozen stuffed animals and a magazine that slipped to her slide after she had fallen asleep. Her pale pink shades were pulled down tightly, cloaking the room in a comfortable darkness. She rolled over onto her side and yawned. Cursing herself for waking up an hour before her alarm, she yanked the comforter further over her head and snuggled into her pillow.

The cool air drifting in through the cracks around her tiny windows slowly pushed the warmth out of her room. She was thankful for the space heater Yakko had installed a few days before. While Burbank was considerably warm for most of the year, this January was especially cold. Dot listened to the roaring wind pound against the thin metal walls and shivered. As Yakko would say, it sounded like mother nature just received her monthly gift.

The wind shook the walls and she sighed. Living in a giant water tower definitely could cause some extreme motion sickness.

What were those writers smoking? Living in a water tower on TV was one thing, since many cartoon characters lived in impractical homes on their shows. But to have her and her two brothers actually live in a hunk of metal several stories above the ground was madness.

Yakko seemed to be thinking along the same line, since it was number two on the "sibs' no-no list" that neither herself nor Wakko were allowed to leave the tower without him. Of course, Wakko had broken that rule on several occasions. He had a habit of listening to only half of what Yakko was saying. But she never had the guts to descend that ladder alone. Not only did she fear the wrath of Yakko when he was in overprotective big brother mode, but she was deathly afraid of heights.

At least she could see the irony in living 130 feet up in the air.

Dot hugged Muffin close to her. Even though Wakko teased her for still sleeping with the pink stuffed cat every night, Dot could never fall asleep without him in her arms. The one time she didn't have Muffin resulted in a three hour search for him around the water tower. Neither of her brothers could sleep through the noise she made through what seemed to be a fruitless effort to find her toy, and it was such a traumatizing experience that Yakko repeatedly threatened to force a bottle of NyQuil down her throat to get her to go to bed.

To her relief, her friend Missy's mom dropped Muffin off the next morning. The poor cat had fallen out of her bag on the way out of their house after a play date. After that, Wakko's teasing of Muffin had become a regular bedtime routine. But it didn't matter to Dot. As long as she had Muffin close at night, she couldn't care less about what her brother said. Besides, she knew that he slept with an autographed Don Knots picture under his pillow.

Dot rolled over. The tower was shaking even more now and the wind had picked up. Why couldn't the studio have put them in a cottage on a hill or someplace more charming than a deteriorating water tower?

The vibrations were becoming more ferocious as she lay there. Her piggy bank began sliding across her dresser and a framed picture of her brothers fell over with a clap. A terrible crack came from outside. Her eyes widened. Surely this couldn't be an-

"EARTHQUAKE!" Yakko shouted from down the hall.

Dot shot up and jumped out of bed, grabbing Muffin as she stumbled towards her brothers' room. She latched onto the wall and flicked the light switch. Nothing. The hallway remained dark and the fear inside of her grew.

"Yakko, Wakko, I can't see!" she cried.

She reached out and groped for something to hold onto as the the walls and ceiling started to crack around her. The bookshelf in front of her collapsed as several picture frames shattered onto the ground. She scrambled over the scattered books and fallen debris when Yakko called out to her.

"I'm right here, Yakko!" she yelled over the moaning earth.

A familiar pair of arms wrapped around her and pulled her off of the books. She could faintly make out Yakko's terrified stare as he half-dragged-half-carried Wakko with his other arm. They stumbled through the wreckage of what was once their comfortable- if a bit hectic- home as the earthquake tore through the Warner Brothers lot.

The TV crashed and sent shards of glass across the floor. Clutching his sibs close to him, Yakko tore through the living room as the tower began swaying violently.

"It's gonna fall over!" Wakko shouted.

Dot buried her face in Yakko's neck, whimpering as he struggled to keep his balance. While she claimed to have "more courage in her pinky finger than Superman, Batman, and every other superhero combined," she was petrified at the moment. She had never felt such fear, not even when she had to jump off of the tower on the first day of shooting.

Dot was talented enough to hit the pavement without getting hurt, there was no doubt about that, but her fear of heights had made her hesitate and she ultimately costed the crew several takes. What if she somehow forgot what to do halfway down? Wakko's constant snickers annoyed her, which in turn made her more nervous. Only after they placed a safety bag at the bottom did she jump.

Even then, Wakko teased her about it for a week after. He finally stopped when Yakko picked him up by the scruff of his neck and dangled him over the bathtub. It was a little known fact that Wakko hated bathing. Well, unless you stood next to him after his week-long bath fasts. But Wakko's bathing issues was the least of her worries at the moment.

The bathroom door shot open. Water was spitting out of the pipes under the sink and the bathtub had cracked, allowing water to pool onto the stark floor. Her favorite rubber ducky floated towards Yakko's feet as the water poured into the living room. It looked like Wakko wouldn't have to take another bath anytime soon.

"Yakko, we've got to get out of here!" she yelled.

"I'm right with ya sis," Yakko made a dart towards the large tower door. As he went to put Wakko down to open it, the large beige couch slid in front of it. "Help me get it out of the way, Wakko!"

Her brothers ran to one of the armrests on the couch and pushed against it as hard as they could. The couch finally began to slide across the floor, which was now hidden under a layer of murky water, and set it against the wall next to he door. Yakko grabbed Dot's arm, forced open the door, and pulled her and Wakko onto the landing outside.

She was amazed by what was unfolding in front of her.

The studio looked as though Godzilla had just taken a stroll through it. The sound stages were collapsing into piles of rubble. Cars were thrown about as the pavement buckled beyond repair. Plotz's office was still standing, but by the looks of the cracked foundation it wouldn't be able to take much more. The sky was painted in a reddish hue as smoke plumed above Burbank and more fires broke out around the city. She felt Yakko's hand squeeze her shoulder as they watched their world collapse in a firestorm of destruction.

"C'mon sibs, we'd better move!" Yakko pulled her and Wakko close and ran towards the edge of the groaning tower. It started to rock back and forth and Dot clutched onto Yakko as hard as she could. "Dot- you need to let me breathe." he coughed.

She loosened her grip but kept her face buried in his neck. Even Skippy looked like a real Chuck Norris compared to her at the moment. But hey, she was six. That was enough of an excuse to be scared once in a while.

The tower started to fall forward. She heard Wakko gulp as they swayed towards the pavement.

"I guess this is our stop!" Yakko sprinted forward and jumped off the tower with a grip on each of his siblings.

The wind whipped around her as they tumbled towards the ground. _Just go to your happy place_ , she thought. Shopping in Paris, vacationing in the Caribbean. Anywhere away from here. Just as she could envision palm trees off in the distance, Yakko hit the ground with a thud. It was over. Now they just needed to find shelter that wasn't a hundred feet in the air.

"Um... Yakko?" Wakko sputtered.

He was pointing at the tower as a large shadow fell over them. Her stomach dropped. Sensing the danger, Yakko ran as fast as his toonspeed could take him. Dot stared at the tower. As much as she hated it there, it was home. It was where Wakko would wrestle with her on the couch and Yakko would tuck her in at night. She felt a twinge of sadness. It was gone.

She quickly resolved the sorrow that had come over her and focused on getting off the lot with her brothers in one piece. Even though the earthquake had subsided, she knew the aftershocks were coming. Miss Flamiel had taught them just last week that they could be potentially stronger than the first quake, and she'd be darned if she died outside of Plotz's office.

To her horror, the ground began shaking again.

"Yakko, we have to get out of here!" she screamed, holding Muffin close to her.

Yakko took off with an arm around both of his sibs. He swiftly dodged the debris that poured down on them from the buildings crumbling with flames. Dot didn't know what he was going to do. It wasn't safe to be inside, and it definitely wasn't safe to be outside. She frantically searched for someplace- anyplace- that would protect them.

As she looked around the deteriorating lot, her eyes caught the stoop of an old stone building. While the top floor showed some signs of damage, the bottom looked mostly undisturbed and free of flames. The stoop, in fact, looked fully intact. She remembered Miss Flamiel also telling them that while standing in a door frame was not the safest option during an earthquake, it was better than moving around. Heck, anything was better than just standing around at this point.

She shook her head. Who knew the witch's sleep-inducing lessons would ever come in handy?

"Yakko, go to that stoop!" she said.

"What?"

"Just go! It's safer than running around like headless chickens or something!"

Yakko, seeing no other option, sprinted towards the building. As they came closer, the tight knot in Dot's stomach loosened slightly. They might actually make it out in one piece.

She cursed herself when the tremors grew more violent. The earth suddenly split and threw Yakko to the ground. Wakko went tumbling down with him, but Dot wasn't as lucky. Yakko lost his grip on her when he made contact with the pavement, and she was sent hurdling down into a steep trench the earthquake had formed. She tried to catch herself with her hands, but the force of the fall was too great. She felt a painful snap when her tiny hand made contact with the ground.

She cried out as she continued to roll. The jagged earth scraped her skin and tore at her nightgown. She could feel blood stick to her fur as she continued to roll downward, and felt tiny pebbles and dirt fill her cuts.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of rolling, Dot's body slammed against a pile of rubble. She whimpered and slowly sat up. Her head was pounding and she felt sore all over. Her cuts stung and her wrist felt like a thousand knives had ripped into it. And worst of all, her brothers were no where in sight.

She didn't know what to do. So she began to cry.

Dot let out muffled sobs as she hugged herself. Where on the lot was she? How would she get back up to her brothers? Are they even there or are they- _no, don't even think like that_ , she told herself. But the thought of her brothers' lifeless bodies buried under a pile of ruble made her heart ache. She had never wanted to hear a joke from Wakko or be wrapped in a hug from Yakko so badly.

For the first time in her life, she was alone.

Dot let out a round of fresh sobs at this. Slowly, she let several more plump tears run down her cheek before finally wiping her eyes dry.

"Stop it Dot," she said quietly. "You're better than a weepy little girl. You're the Warner sister, for crying out loud!"

She straightened up and looked around. The vibrations of the earth had become nothing more than tremors now, but she still felt shook up inside. Catching her reflection the puddle next to here didn't help anything, either.

Her once smooth, carefully combed fur was matted and crimson patches littered her body. Some of her fur had even been ripped out entirely. Her pink nightgown was torn and muddy, and her favorite pink bow was barely hanging onto her droopy ears. Her eyes were red and sore from crying. Not to mention, her wrist hanged at an unnatural angle.

While she was not nearly as vain as _Animaniacs_ portrayed her to be, Dot still took pride in her appearance. She knew she was cute, as Yakko often told her, but hardly ever acknowledged it out loud. Even though it would shock her fans, Dot wasn't that obsessed with being a "cutie." She'd much rather put her efforts into things other than her appearance, and to her, singing about her looks was anything but fun.

But seeing her ragged appearance had brought the reality of the situation even closer to Dot. She started to call for her brothers in hopes that they would hear her, but snapped her mouth shut when she realized the possibility of attracting any of the undesirable characters known to hang around the studio gates at night. Well, if they were still there.

Dot had seen a circle of men standing in front of the chain link fence in the back of the studio several times over the last few months when she had to be up for early shoots. The stale smell that penetrated that area of the lot whenever they were around was unmistakably vile, and their low laughs and shady grins were even more uncomfortable.

Sure she had her mallet, but how could she swing it with only one hand? Even though she could throw a pie (along with a variety of objects) at will, Dot felt scared. While she may be able to hold off someone for a few seconds, she was in no condition to fight anyone who intended to hurt her. What she needed were her brothers.

Dot sniffled, hugging Muffin close to her. How was she going to get out of this? She stared at the pile of crumbled stone in front of her and began to formulate a plan. But just as she began racking her brain for ideas, a large, gloved hand gently touched her shoulder.

"Are you alright there, doc?"

* * *

"Wakko? Are you okay?" Yakko sputtered as he sat up. His head was pounding and his vision was a bit blurred, but overall he felt okay. Well, as okay as a guy can feel after being thrown around like Elmyra's rag doll.

"Yeah, I think so. What about Dot?" he heard Wakko cough.

Yakko looked around for his youngest sib. He began to panic when he couldn't find her. Where could she have gone? He didn't see any large piles of rubble near them, so she wasn't buried. Actually, he didn't see anything past the large drop off in front of him.

"Yakko? Where's- where's Dot?" Wakko asked loudly as he frantically looked for Dot with wide eyes. Yakko's heart raced. What was he going to do?

"Yakko, we have to find her!" Wakko panicked. Yakko meekly bobbed his head and grabbed Wakko's shoulders, trying to calm him down.

"Wak, you've got to calm down. We'll find her," Yakko said, trying to hide the fear in his voice. "Come on, she might have gone down that cliff."

Yakko swallowed as he struggled to subdue the shaking in his legs. Dozens of sickening thoughts prodded at his mind. Maybe she was hurt, maybe she was trapped. He tried to shake the uneasiness churning in his stomach. They were the Warner three, right? That meant that she had to be okay.

Yakko pulled Wakko down to the ground next to him. A smokey odor filled his nose as a black cloud formed around them. He frantically grabbed at the ground, leading his brother towards the newly formed crater. He could hardly see as the smoke clouded his vision. Breathing heavily, Yakko felt Wakko let go of his hand and stand up.

"Wakko, get down. There's too much smoke up-"

"Yakko? Wakko? Is that you?"

Yakko froze at the voice. Certainly that couldn't be-

"Scratchy? What are you doing here?" Wakko coughed.

"I had an early morning session with Mr. Gibson. Come away from that pit! It's too dangerous to be here right now!" the doctor screeched. Yakko ignored him and continued to crawl towards the crater. He'd be damned if they got out of here without his little sister.

"Boys, get back here! You are going to get burned!"

A roaring blaze quickly approached them. He panicked. Dot would be trapped by a ring of fire if he didn't move now.

"Yakko, look out!" Yakko looked up to find a burning piece of debris falling towards him. But before he could move, a body slammed against him and pushed him out of the way. Through his blurry vision, he saw a red hat fall to the ground next to him.

"Thanks Wak. C'mon, we have to get her."

Yakko pulled his brother up, who grabbed his hat so quickly that even Indiana Jones would be impressed, and took off towards the pit. However, a hand grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him backwards despite his protests.

"Scratchy, what are you doing! We have to get Dot!" he roared, trying to kick and shove his way out of the doctor's grip.

"No! It is too dangerous! We need to get out of here. There is a shelter down the road that-"

"Put me down! Dot needs us!"

"Yakko it's not safe here! Would you really endanger your brother's life right now? We need to leave before you two get lost, too!"

Yakko dropped his head. Scratchy was right. For every second they spent here, another second of Wakko's life was at risk. But how could they go without Dot? His precious baby sister must be so terrified, so lonely. He couldn't stand thinking of her being trapped by herself. Who knows what condition she is in, if she's even- No, he couldn't think about that...

But Scratchy was right. Wakko was here next to him, and he had a job to protect him. There was definitely no way he could lose two sibs today.

Yakko stared at the ground as he let Scratchy carry him and Wakko towards the car. Glared at it, actually. If it weren't for the stupid ground, then he'd still be in the water tower with his two siblings by his side. Tears welled in his eyes. He had just done the one thing he had promised himself he would never do. He chose between his brother and sister.

While he didn't really have a choice in this case, it still tore him apart. When he looked up, he found the horror of his decision painted across Wakko's face. His little brother looked miserable as he struggled in Scratchy's surprisingly strong grip. For once, his tongue was kept inside of his firmly set pout. Any trace of childhood joy and mischief had been replaced with pure sadness. And it felt like that sadness and pain was directed at him.

Yakko turned away and hung his head as they approached Scratchy's car. When the doctor placed them in the backseat, Yakko glanced at Wakko one more time, hoping to see that some of his frustration had melted away. But instead, his rage only intensified.

"How could you leave her there?"

"Wakko, I-"

"She's probably scared shitless down there all by herself!"

"Wakko!" Yakko was taken aback. Wakko hardly ever swore.

"What, you gonna yell at me? Because I don't care! Just like you apparently!"

"What's that supposed to mean? Of course I-"

"No, you don't care. If you did care about Dot then she wouldn't still be in that hole! How could you?"

Wakko's breathing became ragged. His face was red and tears were welling in his eyes. Realizing what he said, he opened his mouth and tried to soften the harsh blow he had just dealt his brother.

"Yakko- I, I didn't mean-"

"No, you're right." Taking one last look at his brother, Yakko slouched down in his seat and turned towards the door.

For the first time in his life, he had nothing further to say. His own brother had accused him of abandoning their sister. He would never do that to his precious little sib... but he just did. Yakko felt like his heart had just ripped into two splintered pieces. Feeling a pounding migraine begin to form, he placed his head in his hands and sighed.

Now what was he going to do?

* * *

Several miles away from the outskirts of Toontown, the inmates at Clampett Prison were waking up to another long and tiring day of work. Several toons filled the barren hallways with yawns, while some added loud snores to the prison's bleak atmosphere. Guards strolled up and down the rows of cells, but they hardly paid any attention to the prisoners.

It was the same every day. Wake up at the crack of dawn, eat whatever slop was served in the grimy cafeteria, and make various items for the citizens of Toontown. Day after day. But in cell 91393, a black and white toon scratched a single line on the wall next to his bed.

Day 14,263.

He groaned. The once animated and springy toon now sat in a cell. He stroked his scruffy beard and stared at the wall with bloodshot eyes. Clampett had worn him down to skin and bones, and everyday was the same damn routine. He sure as hell was sick of it. A knock sounded on the other side of the wall.

"Hey Bosko, what are you going to do today?"

"Same thing I do everyday, Oswald. Try to escape."

"You say that everyday, asshole." the tall toon in the cell next to him snickered.

"And I mean it too. I think I'm just gonna lose it one of these days and gorge out a guard's goddamn eyeballs."

He sat up on his rickety bunk and stared at the clock outside of his cell. After over 39 years in Clampett, Bosko had tried to escape exactly 914 times. While each attempt was equally as unsuccessful as the next, he remained determined to break out of his own personal hell.

Many of the toons on his cell block were like him. They were old news who hadn't had a successful show in the years leading up to their arrests. Many had tried and failed to escape prison and had ultimately swallowed the remainder of their sentences like bad milk.

But that's what set him apart from the rest.

Bosko had sought revenge on the toon who landed him in Clampett since the day he arrived. The knot of bitterness in his heart had been pulled so tight that he thought he would soon burst from it. The only way he could retain any bit of the sanity left in his mind was to take out his worst enemy.

Unlike the other prisoners, who for the most part had come to terms with their sentences, Bosko needed to take out all of his anger and frustration on the toon who stole his career. And he wasn't going to stop trying until he succeeded.

The only toon who had understood his struggle was Oswald. His career had also been shattered by another toon and his desire for revenge matched that of Bosko's.

Almost.

While Oswald had only been sentenced for 25 years, he too sought freedom. He had been sentenced for theft and assault, and reminded Bosko daily how much he wanted out of this hellhole.

Bosko, on the other hand, had been convicted for assault and attempted murder. And, as Bosko told everyone he met, he "would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for those damned birds."

Now the toon lay on his bunk with his hands folded on his chest. He smiled as he thought of all the ways he could carry out his revenge on that blasted asshole. He had developed into quite creative genius with so much time on his hands. But as he closed his eyes and pulled his lips into a twisted smirk, the cell started shaking. Thinking it was just a usual California tremor, Bosko rolled over and faced the wall. However, the vibrating was growing more intense and his bed began moving across the cell floor.

Realizing that this was no frequent occurrence, Bosko shot up. The walls were cracking and the small window above the sink had expanded into a gaping hole. While Bosko would have easily slipped through the thin bars to escape, the guards had placed a thin bracelet around his wrist to block his toon abilities, including the access of his hammerspace, upon his arrival at Clampett. But now he had the opportunity to break into the warden's office, steal the only pair of cutters that could break the bracelet, and escape.

Quickly he moved across the room to avoid the collapsing wall. A wall of dust blinded him for several moments before finally settling. He coughed and wiped his face, relieved to have avoided the falling stone around him.

"It's your lucky day, Bosko." Oswald said from behind him. He turned around to face his closest friend.

"You're right. I think today is finally the day."


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much for your reviews, favorites, and follows! The support means so much to me and I'm glad you're interested in my story! Also, I do have a few OC's in the story, so anyone you don't recognize belongs to me. And a few of the scenes will have some foul language in them (that's why there is a T rating), so I'm just warning you now. It won't be too bad, but I wanted to give you a heads up.**

* * *

"Are you alright, doc?"

Dot turned her head slowly and stared at the toon standing behind her. Her mouth opened slightly when she found Bugs Bunny looking down at her.

She noticed that he was in no better condition than herself, as his fur was covered in a thick layer of soot and grim. His clothes were torn and his whiskers were bent at odd angles. Behind his ruffled appearance, a small frown pulled at his mouth. While Dot had recognized him immediately, she was surprised to see the usually lively toon look so downtrodden. But remembering the situation, she couldn't blame him.

"I- yes, well no, but-" she stammered. Other than her wrist, Dot felt like she would be okay physically. But she was lost and confused without her brothers by her side.

"I'm going to take that as a no."

She glanced around the at the jagged earth. The ground- or what was left of it- was hidden by rubble and debris. Water lines had burst and smoke filled the air. While the day was still cool, Dot suddenly felt warm. She turned around and watched as an inferno of flames quickly engulfed the area.

"Come on, kid. We need to get out of here!" Bugs said with wide eyes.

Bugs scooped Dot up and took off running. Usually, Bugs would have used his toonspeed to get them out of harm's way. But not knowing if another aftershock was going to hit, he decided against it. The last thing he needed was to lose his balance and drop the little girl in his arms. She looked pretty beat up, and he didn't want to hurt her any further.

She watched as the fire chased them, destroying everything in its path. Dot glanced ahead and saw one of the lot entrances off in the distance. Hopefully everyone had gotten out in time.

Her breath hitched- Yakko and Wakko were still on the other side of the fire.

"Wait, we have to go back!" she screeched.

"Sorry, but I don't plan on becoming the 'roasted rabbit special' today." Bugs said.

Dot bit down on her lip. There was the sassy rabbit she had watched every Saturday morning.

"No, we need to go get my brothers! They're still back there!"

Bugs slowed down a bit and Dot noticed his mouth pull into a thin line. Right when she thought he was going to turn around, she felt him speed up.

"What are you doing? We need to get my brothers!"

"We'll all be toast if we go back now!"

Dot's fear grew at this. There was no way she was leaving the lot without Yakko and Wakko. Panicking, she began thrashing in Bugs arms. Dot kicked the rabbit in his stomach as she tried desperately to get down and find her brothers.

"Ouch! Look, there's nothing I can do- you've gotta hold still!"

Dot, determined to be reunited with her brothers, struggled against him even more. This only made Bugs tighten his already strong grip on her and tears welled in her eyes. Although she had made a vow to stop crying earlier, she couldn't help but think of her brothers being trapped by a wall of fire.

Finally submitting to the fact that she couldn't get down, Dot stopped struggling. She glared at the fire behind them. The flames cackled as they tore through the lot as though they were mocking her. She wouldn't be in this mess if the fire hadn't separated her from Yakko and Wakko. A few tears spilled down her cheeks. Gosh Dot, she thought, now the biggest cartoon star in history thinks you're a wuss, too.

Bugs felt her settle on his chest. He didn't want to be the bad guy, but he couldn't risk both of their lives to go back for toons that may already be dead. Yet the weight of his decision pressed down on his shoulders as he tore through the studio gate.

He had watched _Animaniacs_ often. If it weren't for his superstar status he would even consider himself a fan. He had exchanged pleasantries with the Warners at studio events in the past, and had noticed the close bond the siblings shared both onscreen and off.

He had seen it first hand at the studio's anniversary party last year. After Daffy moved to another table, Bugs had little desire to join the crowd of celebrities. Many of his friends and colleagues had encouraged him to join the party, but he was content on sitting in the corner and relaxing after a long day of shooting. As he observed the crowed, as well as the alluring way Jessica Rabbit moved her hips when she walked, the Warner siblings sat down at the table next to him.

He looked on as Yakko conversed with Pinky and the Brain. While the kid was animatedly talking a mile a minute with the two mice, Bugs noticed the small glances he shot in his siblings' direction every minute or so.

Turning his attention to the group of children playing in the corner, Bugs caught the threatening glare Wakko sent Montana Max after he pushed his sister a little too hard during a game of tag. And when the desert carts had been rolled out, he saw Dot place a cupcake on both of her brother's plates when they had gone off somewhere with Scratchansniff.

While each sibling had been subtle in their actions, it was clear that they cared deeply for each other.

Now he was pulling them apart. Boy, did he feel like a jerk. As he turned the corner and continued onto the sidewalk, Bugs felt the stress of the morning catch up with him.

He had come in for an early morning shoot. Shelly, who was in charge of his clothes and makeup, had gone next door to the wardrobe closet to find a shirt he needed for the next scene. Bugs had been reading yesterday's _Variety_ issue when a small tremor shook the room. Thinking it was nothing, he leaned back and waited for Shelly to return with whatever ungodly article he had been assigned to wear for a western shoot.

As he set the paper down on his dresser, a violent shaking rattled his dressing room. Before he knew it, the walls started to crack and the floors began to split. Bugs sprinted out of the room and knocked into Shelly. He grabbed her by her forearm and pulled her towards the emergency exit at the end of the hallway. But as they moved through the panicked crowd of stagehands and extras, he lost his grip on her and had to continued towards the door alone once she ran down an adjacent hallway.

Smoke met his lungs when he finally made it outside. A golf cart had crashed into the sound stage next door and burst into flames. The fire was spreading quickly. He took off in the opposite direction, dodging debris and earth as he sprinted. He slowed down a few blocks ahead, gasping for air. To his relief, the quake seemed to be over as he surveyed the damage behind him.

CRASH.

Bugs shot around as he watched the water tower collapse. Shit. The Warner kids were probably still in there. He took off towards the scene and started to search for them in the rubble. He quickened his pace when he noticed that the fire had grown and was now swallowing the lot at a rapid pace.

"C'mon, kids. Show your fuzzy little heads, already." Bugs muttered as he dug through the rubble surrounding the tower.

The fire had nearly scorched him by the time he finally took off. Then, as he was running, another set of vibrations shook the ground. The earth suddenly split beneath his feet and he was thrown into a nearby crater. He hit the ground with a thud and rolled over, clutching his head.

As his vision cleared, Bugs could make out a small pink and black shape huddled a few yards ahead. Looking closer, he saw that it was the youngest Warner shaking with sobs. He staggered towards her and placed his hand on her shoulder. His heart broke when he saw the pitiful look she gave him.

They continued to move down the sidewalk at a slower pace. Dot clutched Muffin as best she could with her wrist and held onto Bugs's shirt with her other hand. The wind picked up and Dot shivered. Bugs must have felt it since he started moving towards a relatively untouched building across the street.

"Let's get inside. It's kinda chilly out here."

As he began to cross the road, a low, unsettling laugh made him stop dead in his tracks. Dot peered over the rabbit's shoulder to find a large toon rat staring at them. He wore stained clothes that were torn beyond repair. His eyes glowed a bright yellow and his crooked teeth were stained and cracked. Patches of his fur were missing and his long, worm-like tail twitched in an uneven rhythm.

Several smaller rats surrounded him in equally dreadful attire. But none of their glares matched the terrifying glow seen in the largest rat's beady eyes. Dot shrunk back into Bugs when the glower met her own gaze.

"How ya doin', Long Ears?" the rat growled. Looking completely calm and collected, Bugs turned and faced him.

"What's up, doc? It's been awhile since I've seen trash blowing around in this district. The quake must have brought it up from the sewer." he said coolly.

"Aw, come now, Looney. No warm welcome for your old friend? I'm hurt."

"Don't be, Smokey. I only meant to flatter you. Say, did you get a hair cut? Cause I think you might want to go get your money back. Why don't you go do that while we get on our way."

"Not so fast, Looney. Who's your little friend there?" his eyes widened when he looked at Dot closely. "Wait, I know you. You're one of those Warner brats. The 'cute' one, right?"

Dot shuddered when he sent her a chilling smile. One of the rats behind him came forward and Bugs pulled Dot closer against him.

"Hey boss, after you get the rabbit can I take the girl? She'd make a good snack." he laughed.

"Sure, Tango. You deserve a reward for your last assignment. A damn fine job, you did." A few of the rats shook their heads in agreement while one scowled at the ground.

"So your sending a bunch of baboons to do your dirty work now, Smokey? It sure is a sad day for all dumpster dwellers when their leader is no longer competent. Here, have a cookie. It will make you all feel better."

Bugs chucked a large chocolate chip cookie with stick of dynamite lodged in it and threw it. It landed at the rats' feet and exploded as Smokey and Tango started towards them. He took off down the street as fast as he could, chucking banana cream pies at the two rats.

"Now listen, kid. I know throwing pies may seem a bit cheesy, but I can assure you that they are quite effective." he called out. Dot watched Smokey narrowly avoid one of the pies while Tango was hit square in the face and knocked down.

"I guess the proof is in the pudding." Dot muttered.

Bugs continued to chuck banana peels and pies behind him, but Smokey easily dodged them and was quickly catching up to Dot and Bugs. Dot reached into her hammerspace and pulled out a stick of dynamite. The rat was so focused on dodging Bugs attacks that she figured he wouldn't see it coming. Using her uninjured hand, Dot threw the dynamite as hard as she could. It bounced on the ground in front of Smokey and exploded seconds later.

She watched as he collapsed in a blackened heap. Bugs used this opportunity to increase his speed. After sprinting across what felt like half of the city, Bugs finally turned into an alley. He placed Dot down in the shadows and slumped down next to her. She shivered again. Although the temperature had risen slightly, Dot still felt cold in the winter air. As she glanced around the dingy alley, she felt something large and warm wrap around her shoulders, and looked up at a now jacket-less Bugs.

"You don't have to-"

"Nah, don't worry about it. All that running really heats up a guy."

She muttered a small thanks and pulled the jacket tighter around her. The two sat in silence as Dot struggled to stay awake.

"That was a nice toss back there, doc."

"Thanks." Dot yawned. The past hour had been absolutely exhausting. Bugs watched her eyelids flutter. She looked like she was about to pass out cold. Feeling a heaviness settle in his own head, he slumped further down against the wall.

"I know it's only eight in the morning, but I think I could go for a nap. You should probably get some shut eye in now, too. Who knows when we'll find a spot to sleep again," Bugs exclaimed. Her eyes grew wide. What did that mean? "Don't worry about it, kid. I just meant that I don't know when we'll get to the shelter." Bugs stammered at her confused expression.

Dot, who was too tired to press the matter, nodded her head and slide down against the wall. Bugs watched her slowly fade into restless sleep. The poor thing looked like hell, and it pained him to see someone so young look so defeated. Sighing, the rabbit wrapped an arm around her. Hopefully his little "friends" wouldn't be paying them a visit within the next couple of hours.

* * *

"Go faster, Bosko! They're gaining on us!"

"Dammit! The ground's too uneven. If we move any faster we'll fall into a ditch or some shit. Oswald, look out!"

Bosko pushed his ragged friend out of the way of a rolling truck. The aftershocks had only just subsided, and downtown Towntown was covered in destruction. Bosko looked back as the vehicle rolled over several police cars that had been chasing them for the past 15 miles. He covered Oswald's bleeding head as the truck made impact with a crumbling building and exploded. Shrapnel ripped into his back as his ears rang from the blast.

"GAH- OH F-"

"Bosko, watch out! That tire's heading towards us!"

Pulling Oswald up as he gritted his teeth in pain, Bosko ran as fast as he could. While dodging falling debris and pushing his way through the frantic sea of toons, Bosko sped down Main Street with Oswald trailing closely behind him. He ignored various cries for help and continued running as more police began to arrive on the seen. But a red blur collided into him as he turned onto Fleischer Way. The force of a furry body pummeled him to the pavement. Bosko's vision blurred as his head made contact with a rock.

"Hey! Watch where you're- wait, I know that face!" The figure yelled.

Bosko couldn't make out the toon's features. Knowing his luck, a cop was probably staring down at him with handcuffs ready to restrain him. Rage began to boil inside of him. No. He couldn't go back to that hellhole. He was finally out and would rather kill himself than end up in Clampett again. Pain shot through his head as he sat up and swung at the toon. Bosko grinned as his fist made contact with the side of his face.

CRACK. The red figure flew backwards and landed flat on his back, clutching his jaw.

"Aw shit!... Bosko, buddy, it's me! It's me, Gonzo!" he cried as Bosko prepared to strike again. His vision started to clear and he could make out the slim frame of a fox.

"Gonzo? What are you- no, we don't have time for this. Come on, the cops are crawling all over the place."

"There's an alley over there. We can hide out 'till some of Smokey and Tango boy's get here. They have to, ah, drop off some cargo." Gonzo said as he began pulling Bosko off of the street.

"Those two are still kicking? The word around Clampett was that they got picked off in a factory raid a couple of years ago." Oswald added as he jogged beside the two toons.

"You kidding me? I swear they're immune to every kind of rat poison there is. Hell, Tango was here last night with a job. Said something about 'tying up a few loose ends' with Buddy's boys. Heard they screwed Smokey over in a deal a few weeks ago and took off with the cash." Gonzo said as they entered an alley. They stopped for a moment to catch their breaths before continuing their conversation.

"So, why was Tango knocking on your door if you weren't in on that deal?" Oswald asked.

"The asshole wanted to drop the bodies on me. I mean, come on. Do I look like a freakin' mortician to you? I swear, the next time I see Smokey I'm gonna lay one up on him. I've gotta enough cops on my back without his problems up my ass."

"Shut up, Gonzo. We both know you'd wet yourself at the sight of Smokey, let alone swing at him. Now, do you know where he's hiding out right now?" Bosko grunted. The throbbing in his head was slowing but the shrapnel in his back was causing unbearable pain. If he didn't get it out soon he might just go crazy.

"He's campin' outside of Burbank. Said somethin' about havin' a chat with an old pal. I could probably take you to him- for a small fee, of course." The fox grinned.

"I'm not here to play games, Gonzo. Get me to Smokey or else. It would be a shame if you were to have an 'accident' or something." Bosko smirked with a malicious glint in his eyes.

"You wouldn't-"

"I would. I may have spent 39 years behind bars, but I can assure you that I still have connections on my end. If I wanted a job done, all I'd have to do is make one phone call before your head was being delivered to me on a silver platter. I can rip you apart before you even blink. Now, take us to Smokey. I need his help on a... mission. I'd ask his boys to bring us, but I don't trust them." Bosko muttered darkly. Gonzo stared at him with unblinking eyes.

"What kind of mission? You've only been out of the hole for what, an hour now? And already you've got a job planned? You know, most guys take a day or two to get back into the groove of things."

"It's none of you're damn business, fox. Besides, I've had plenty of time to think about what I was going to do when I finally broke out."

"Alright, fine. We'll leave tonight. You can come back to my place for now. Well, what's left of it."

"Don't you think a ripped cardboard box will a little too small for the three of us?" Oswald smirked.

"Shut the hell up. You should be grateful for my hospitality."

"Well it's not like you have much of a choice, fox." Bosko grunted. "Now where's this little abode of your's at?"

"At the end of the alley. C'mon, my buddy can fix you guys up while we're there. You both look like mutilated shit." Gonzo looked around the alley before walking further into it. He shoved his dirty hands into his patched pockets and glanced down at the ground. "And, ah, whatever you do, don't open the door at the end of the hall."

"Why's that?" Oswald asked.

"You've got your business, I've got mine. So stop askin' questions and move your asses. The cops are probably close by." He took off at a quick pace down the alley.

Bosko and Oswald shared a suspicious look. While Gonzo was no big shot in the underground life of Toontown, he was definitely someone you didn't mess with. Even though he still had the disposition of an inexperienced kid, Gonzo was in fact a sly and skillful convict. He had befriended Bosko and Oscar quickly during his short time at Clampett a few years ago.

He had landed in there for involvement in the murder of a Toontown gang boss. While he was convicted for being the getaway driver, many say Gonzo was in fact the one who killed the walrus toon. Apparently, he had owed Gonzo and another toon $20,000 and had refused to pay it back. He claimed that the money was not a loan, but a payment for taking out a detective who had been tracking them a few months earlier.

They say that he sneaked into the walrus's home one night and snapped his neck as he slept. Then, after breaking into the walrus's safe and taking back his money, Gonzo ran away from the house and left the driver at the scene to take the dive. He was careful to leave as little of a trace in the house as possible, and even staged footprints that looked just like the driver's. The lack of evidence let Gonzo get off with three to five years. His partner, however, received a life sentence. No wonder he was a fox. The guy was cunning as hell.

No, the last thing Bosko needed was to piss off Gonzo. Knowing him, he'd set him up and land him back in Clampett. He felt a small chill run down his spine as he thought of that possibility.

"Well, are you two idiots comin' or what?"

* * *

The mattress moaned as Yakko turned over. He just couldn't seem to avoid the twisted spring that kept digging into his back. Giving up, he sighed and stared at the gym ceiling.

Scratchansniff had brought him and Wakko to the nearest shelter a few hours ago. It was a large high school gym that had both humans and toons crowded together on musty old army cots. Yakko figured they had been stored in the school's basement since the Cold War, seeing that his cot had a pretty crude depiction of a Russian on it. He also noted that the room reeked oddly of fish.

Yakko turned his head towards Wakko as he shifted next to him. There were so many people seeking shelter that the aid workers could only spare them two mattresses. Scratchansniff quickly claimed one while he and Wakko had to share the other. This had only gained an tense expression from Wakko. While the two would easily fit on it, neither Warner felt comfortable in the presence of the other.

Wakko hadn't spoken since they got into the car, and it seemed that his pitiful pout was permanently glued to his face. Yakko was simply nervous to be around him at this point, and it killed him to see his brother like this. On the way to the shelter, the tension in the car was so thick that Yakko wanted to scream. It only intensified when they hit a road block and had to walk the rest of the way to the shelter.

"Now come on, boys. They don't have enough beds and your little monkey bodies are small enough to- oh, don't give me that look, Wakko!" Scratchanstiff sighed. "I know this is hard, but you two need each other more than you realize."

Wakko simply slumped down on the cot and turned away from his brother and the doctor.

"Just give him some time, Yakko. It was a traumatizing event and this is just his way of coping. He'll be okay in a few days."

Yakko nodded and stared at his feet. The horrible feeling that had been growing inside of him was almost unbearable. His little sister was missing and now his brother probably hated him for it. It was like his entire life was shattering around him. He felt Scratchansniff place a hand on his shoulder. Great, he could just feel a heart to heart coming on with the world's most nosy psychiatrist.

"Are you doing alright, Yakko? This must be very hard for you, too."

"Oh yeah, I'm just dandy. It's not like my brother hates me and my little sister has basically fallen off of the face of the Earth. No, Scratchy, I'm absolutely peachy." he finished with a huff.

"Listen, Yakko. I know this is hard, but you would feel a lot better if you just talked to me. It's not healthy to bottle up all you're feelings after an event like this. If you just-"

"Look, Scratchy. I appreciate the sentiment, but what's there to say? What's done is done. I just have to focus on finding Dot and then everything will be okay-"

"Yakko-"

"I'm gonna go get some food for us and then I'll go back to the lot to look for her-"

"Yakko-"

"I know she might not be there, but it's a start. I just have to-"

"Yakko! Would you just listen to me! You can't go back! It's too dangerous. There are fires all around the city and, well, she may not have... survived."

Yakko glared at the doctor. How dare he say that Dot was dead! Even though she was a six year old girl, she was one of the toughest toons he knew. She must have made it, right?

He watched as Wakko got off of the cot and walked off. Yakko thought about following him but decided against at. He didn't want to upset his brother any further. Maybe some time apart would help Wakko.

"Dot's still out there. And I'm going after her whether you like it or not." Yakko said in a low voice.

"You need to come to terms with what might have happened... Yakko, get back here!" yelled Scratchanstiff as Yakko took off through the crowd.

He pushed through the hoards of bodies. Glancing over his shoulder, Yakko saw that the doctor was following close behind him. Turning into one of the school's less crowded hallways, Yakko ran as fast as he could. He finally lost Scratchansniff after weaving through the maze of lockers and classrooms.

Coming to a halt, Yakko took in his surroundings. The energy of students still lingered beyond the damage of the earthquake. Sheets of homework were scattered on the tiled floor. School day messages and bits of gossip were written on the walls and lockers. Flyers for class elections, bake sales, and fundraisers were posted throughout the halls, and a few forgotten books rested in various nooks and corners. It almost seemed normal.

Yakko felt a slight pang of jealousy as he continued walking. Unlike most kids, he never had the chance to go to a real school. He and his siblings were tutored in between takes of _Animaniacs_ , and before they booked the show- well, he'd rather not think about that now.

Yakko was pulled out of of his thoughts by small whimper. He turned around to find Wakko curled up behind an old metal trash bin. His tail was wrapped around his ankle and his red baseball cap sat askew on his head. Wakko sat up and wiped a few loose tears off of his fur when he noticed his brother's sad stare.

"What do you want?" he sighed. Yakko was taken aback by the sadness and pain in his voice.

"An apology."

"Look, I'd really rather be alone right now. I'm sorry, okay?"

"No, not from you. I wanted to apologize for everything that's happened."

"Well, it's done. We left Dot behind and there's nothing we can do about it now." Wakko wrapped his arms around his legs and turned away.

"Please, Wakko. Just hear me out. I'll even let you have that godforsaken cot all to yourself if you just listen to what I have to say." Yakko took his brother's silence as permission to continue.

"You're right, I shouldn't have left Dot behind. I shouldn't have to ever leave one of my sibs behind. But you have to understand that it was the hardest decision I've ever made. I love you both so much, and it's my job to protect you. But I failed, Wak. If I had just held onto her a bit tighter she wouldn't have fallen into that ditch," he started.

"When the fire separated us, I knew I could either grab you and get out of there or go in for her and risk killing all of us. I just... I just couldn't lose both of you at once," tears began to well in his eyes as the weight of his decision came crashing down on him again. "It kills me to think that she's out there alone and scared. She probably hates me too. I'm so, so sorry Wakko. I let us all down." he sat down next to his brother and placed his head in his hands. After a few moments of silence, Wakko spoke up.

"I don't hate you. And I know she doesn't, either."

"How could you not? I just separated our family. I wouldn't be surprised if you never wanted to speak to me again."

"I've been thinking about what happened, and I guess things would have gotten worse if we hadn't left when we did. I'm sorry I was such a jerk. It wasn't fair for me to say that it was your fault. There was nothing you could do. I just feel so guilty and angry about what happened, and I miss her so much that it..."

"Hurts?"

"Yeah."

Yakko placed an arm around Wakko and pulled him close. He slowly felt some of the pain that ebbed at heart fade away, and he found comfort in his big brother's embrace. Yakko squeezed him against his side.

"Don't worry, Wak. We'll get her back."


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you again for all of the support. I have a bad habit of putting things aside after I start them, so every review, follow, favorite, and view really helps to keep me motivated! I also drew a new cover for the story that took me a good three hours to make, so I'd love if you checked it out!**

* * *

Dot opened her eyes slowly. Her vision was obscured by a thin ray of light that penetrated the darkness of the alley. She shifted her head towards the side as she began to stretch her limbs. Ow, Dot. Bad idea. She winced at the pain that shot through her ribs. Every inch of her body felt bruised. Many of the scrapes stung and her swollen wrist was too sore to move. She tried to get up. Apparently, sleeping against a brick wall after rolling into a ditch only made one more sore.

"You alright, doc?" Bugs said as he leaned over her.

"Yeah, I-uh, the light was in my eyes and it... surprised me." she stammered as she slumped back against the wall.

"Okay... C'mon, I made some lunch." he grabbed her wrist and pulled her up.

Dot cried out when the pain in her wrist intensified. Bugs dropped her arm and examined the twisted expression on her face. His gaze traveled down her arm and stopped at her hand. She quickly pulled it beneath his jacket, which was still draped over her.

"What happened?"

"Nothing. I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Because last time I checked, hands aren't supposed to bend at that angle. Now, why don't you tell me what really happened."

"Um, during the earthquake I fell and rolled into that ditch. I tried to catch myself but my wrist sort of snapped."

"Why wouldn't you tell me sooner? I wouldn't have just made it worse if I knew."

"Well, you were a little busy saving our lives! It's not like I was going to interrupt that creepy rat guy to tell you that my wrist hurt. Besides, it really isn't that bad..." she huffed.

Bugs ran a hand down his face. He sighed and knelt down next to her. Dot watched as he pulled a small white box out of his hammerspace and opened it. He took out a bottle and a small roll of gauze.

"Let me see it." Bugs said as he unwrapped several small packages.

Dot hesitated. She absolutely hated anything medical because it reminded her of that awful place. Every doctor's visit resulted in her being restrained by Yakko at even the slightest glimpse of a stethoscope. Her irrational reactions during each check up would prompt Yakko to jokingly suggest sedating her, which would make her even more anxious, and ultimately the visits would result in countless bite marks, scratches, and sore shins.

Her breaths came in shorter intervals and her hands started to shake. Come on, Dot. Bugs isn't like her. He won't hurt you like she did. She kept trying to tell herself this, but the fear inside of her continued to grow.

"Look, I know it will sting a little, but I have to clean out those cuts and wrap your wrist for you to feel better. It'll only take a minute."

"No, really! Don't!" she shrunk back as Bugs came closer.

"It's just a little stinging! You're only making it worse right now." He was becoming increasingly agitated. He knew that kids often had silly fears, but this one was especially irrational. Didn't she know that this would help the pain go away?

"I'm sorry!" she practically yelled. Bugs hesitated.

"Sorry for what? Dot, what's wrong?"

"Nothing! I just don't like doctors."

"Why don't you like doctors? There's more you're not telling me."

"I don't have to tell you anything. I barely know you!" Dot huffed and turned away.

Bugs sighed. Daffy always said that he never knew when to shut up, and he couldn't really disagree with him at the moment.

"I only want to help you, kid. But you're right, I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me anything."

"It's alright," she took a deep breath. "I know I overreacted, but anything like that reminds me of the orphanage we used to live in." Dot's eyes widened. She didn't mean to tell him that. But after seeing his understanding look, she continued.

"The lady who ran it used to punish us whenever we got hurt. She would put salt in our scrapes or would be really rough if she had to put on bandages, and then she would make sit alone for the rest of the day. I shouldn't make that big of a deal about it... I just kind of freak out whenever someone other than my brothers try to help me. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. That woman had no right to hurt you like that. I don't blame you for getting freaked out." he said.

"Yeah... and thanks for listening. Just don't go thinking I'm some helpless little girl, cause I'm not. I can handle myself."

"I can see that, doc. And I can tell from that show of yours that you're not someone to mess with."

"Wait, you've watched _Animaniacs_?" he watched as a smile grew on her face.

"What, just because I'm some big shot means I can't watch someone else's show?"

"Oh my gosh! Yakko's gonna freak! He's your biggest fan."

"Great, another fanboy..." Bugs muttered.

"He's not obsessive or anything, well, he obsesses over everything, but you're his idol. He's studied all of your cartoons and learned everything he knows from them. He's even tracked down all the ones that aren't allowed to be shown anymore."

"Ugh, I still have censors on my back for those. You would think they would forgive me over half a century later, right? I mean, they let you get away with the 'fingering Prince' line."

"Yeah... Hey, what does that mean? Yakko won't tell me and Wakko said he doesn't know, either." Bugs, not about to corrupt a six year old, quickly changed the subject.

"Eh... that's not important. However, I do need to fix you up. I promise to be gentle, okay?" Dot still looked a little uneasy but moved closer to him.

"Um, okay." she said quietly.

Bugs picked up a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and dampened a small piece of cloth. He carefully held her arm and moved towards her. Dot shifted back as the cool liquid made contact with her skin. Bugs kept a firm but gentle grip on her arm and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Dot, I know it stings. But you have to hold still." Bugs said.

Dot nodded and pulled closer, this time making sure to hold as still as she could. She was determined to get over her fear. Bugs began cleaning the cuts on her arms and face. When he was done, he pulled off her torn gloves and started on her hands. It was taking every ounce of will power in her to not jump up and bolt out of the alley. Just breathe, Dot, she repeated in her head. After what felt like an eternity, Bugs finally put the cloth down and picked up the roll of gauze. He unrolled it and cut off a long strip with his front teeth.

"Now tell me if I wrap it too tight." Bugs said as he pulled the gauze around her hand and wrist.

She tried to distract herself by looking around the alley as he worked. The ground was cracked and the brick walls looked unstable. Scattered trash bags and a large, dented dumpster sat in the corner. Holding back a shiver when a cold breeze ran over her, she turned her attention back to Bugs as he secured the gauze with a small clip.

"Alright, that should work. Does it feel any better?"

"Yeah, thanks." she nodded. He got up and poked the small fire that he had built while she slept.

"Want a hot dog? They're a little burnt, but I think we'll survive."

Dot slowly got up and walked over to the fire. Bugs handed her a blackened hot dog and she sat down. They ate in silence as the sun set and an eerie darkness settled over them. The warm glow of the fire cast flickering shadows on the alley's cracked walls, and a pink tinge crept onto her cheeks each time she leaned towards the fire to roast another hot dog.

"How long was I asleep?" she asked, taking a small bite.

"Eight hours maybe? I'm not really sure. I left my watch back at the lot."

"Oh. Did you sleep that long, too?"

"Nah. Maybe an hour or two. A brick wall is no Tempurpedic, you know."

"I know it's not ideal, but you could use one of those garbage bags as a mattress." she snickered.

"Are you saying I'm trash, Warner?" Bugs smirked.

"Well, I'm not saying you're not, but-" Dot giggled as Bugs pulled her ears playfully. She stopped when she heard a loud clatter nearby. Several low voices rang out as a scream pierced the air. Bugs quickly pulled a blanket out of his hammerspace and threw it on the fire, engulfing the alley in darkness.

"Bugs, what's-" she felt his hand clamp over her mouth as the voices drew nearer.

"There's a antique store over on Prospect Street that looked pretty untouched. The fires didn't get it too bad."

"That's a nice neighborhood. Should find some grabs over there. Maybe we'll snatch another babe, you know? Hopefully she'll be better than the last one." Deep chuckles traveled through the alley as the men passed by. Bugs removed his hand after their voices faded off down the street.

"I think we should leave in a few minutes. We don't want to get stuck here overnight."

"Where are we gonna go?"

"I know a high school a few blocks over that's used as a shelter during emergencies. We can get a decent meal and a good night's sleep there, though I don't know if it's physically possible for you to sleep much more. I'd be concerned if you could." Bugs muttered.

"Ha ha. Wait, is the school near the lot?"

"Sorta, why?"

"Maybe Yakko and Wakko are there! We could look for them!" she said.

"Shhh! Do you want those thugs to come back here?" he sighed. "Look, your brothers might not be at the shelter when we get there, so don't get your hopes up."

"Okay... but can we go soon?" she said, ignoring the last part of what Bugs said. She could only hope they were there at this point.

"Sure kid. Go get my jacket and we'll leave."

Bugs watched as she ran over and grabbed the jacket. She was back next to him a split second later. For an injured little girl she sure was fast, he thought. He took the large winter jacket from her and put it on. He silently congratulated himself when he noticed that the jacket was a little more roomy than it had been a few weeks ago. That new cardio class he joined last month was finally starting to show.

"Now listen, I'm gonna hide you in here while we're on the streets. Don't make a noise and don't peek you're head out unless I say so."

"Okay, but why?"

"Let's just say that not everyone out there is friendly. It'll look less suspicious if I appear to be a looter or something."

"But you're Bugs Bunny, don't you think people will notice you?" he turned around pulled a ski mask out of his hammerspace. Dot snickered.

"Cliche and lame, I know. But it's the best I have at the moment. Come on." Bugs picked up Dot and placed her inside of the jacket. He zipped it up as far as he could and pulled the ski mask down over his head, making sure his ears were slicked back firmly against his head. He walked out of the alley with an arm around Dot and a hand in his pocket.

* * *

"Wakko." Yakko whispered as he nudged his brother. Nothing.

"Wakko!" This time Wakko rolled over on the cot, but he still remained fast asleep.

"Wake up!" Yakko shook him so hard that he almost fell on hard gym floor. Wakko's eyes fluttered open and he muttered something unintelligible.

"C'mon, Wak. Get your head out of Wonderland and let's go."

He watched his brother sit up and rub his eyes groggily. A few ruffled stirs and loud snores filled the room, but it was otherwise quiet in the gym. He grabbed the bag of food he packed and placed it in his hammerspace. Because a hammerspace preserves an object in the state that it was originally in, the food wouldn't go bad. Wakko finished zipping up his jacket and sat up.

"Now try not to wake Scratchy. The guy sleeps lighter than a feather." Yakko whispered as he crept around the doctor.

"Aw shoot. I was just about to get out my violin and sing 'Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah' in his ear."

"Cute, Wak." Yakko muttered as the stepped around the cots.

"Hey, I'm not cute. That's Dot's thing."

"Exactly, now shut up so we can go find her."

They continued to make their way through the crowded gym. There were easily 2,000 humans and toons packed together on moldy cots, and Yakko had to be careful not to step on any heads in the dim lighting. He watched as a raccoon toon fed her baby and rubbed the back of her toddler son. Another woman was currently wrestling two boys back into bed. Neither of the boys looked much older than Wakko, so he knew just how stressful their bedtime could be.

Thankfully Wakko had outgrown his "I can stay up until midnight and still get enough sleep" phase. After months of bedtime fights and a constantly cranky Wakko, Yakko was ready to jump off of the water tower. While his new "sleep as much as possible" phase often made them late for classes and shoots, everyone was much happier.

"Yakko, come on!" Wakko pulled him out of his thoughts. After a few more minutes of dodging various body parts, the brothers finally made it to the front door of the school. But just as they went to push open the large metal doors, a large hand clamped down on each of their shoulders.

"Da, where'ya going Warners?" Wakko and Yakko turned around to find Ralph staring down at them. Yakko shot a quick glance at his brother before speaking.

"Well, the paper boy came and Scratchy sent us to get the paper."

"Dr. Scratchansniff's here? Oh boy!" he clapped his hands and looked around. "Where's he?"

"In the gym, Ralph. You know what, you should go say hi! He'd love to see you." Yakko grinned.

"I could brings my family to see him, too! I'll tells him you says hi!" he shouted as he took off towards the gym.

"Yeah Ralph, you do that..." Wakko muttered and opened the door. "Is it sad he didn't notice that the paper comes in the morning, not the middle of the night?"

"It's Ralph, Wak. What do you expect- Whoa." his heart dropped when he turned his head and saw the scene outside.

Fires still contaminated the skies of Burbank, which looked almost unrecognizable due to the extensive amount of damage. He had almost thought he'd dreamed up the aftermath while in the safety of the shelter. Obviously he hadn't.

"Um, I don't think there will be a paper boy in the morning." Wakko muttered.

"Let's just get going." Yakko said.

They made their way slowly across the piles of rubble and debris. It took them almost an hour to travel a few blocks. Between hiding from emergency workers and dodging looters, their task was becoming increasingly more difficult.

"The lot's just a few miles away," Yakko started. "If we keep going at this pace we might get there in the morning- Wakko, look out!"

Yakko pushed Wakko out of the way of a collapsing building next to them. He jumped on top of him when they made contact with the ground, shielding Wakko from the debris. Yakko felt a few sharp objects pierce the skin on his back, but otherwise he felt unharmed after the building settled into the earth. He sat up and got off of his brother.

"You alright?" he coughed through the thick cloud of dust in the air.

"Yeah, you?"

"Yeah. C'mon, we have to keep moving. Just be careful, though." Yakko said as he rubbed his eye. As he took a step forward, a large, dark mass blocked his way.

"Be careful of what, kiddie?" a deep voice called out. Yakko stepped back and shoved Wakko behind him.

"Aw, look at that, Herb. It's those two kids from that show! What is it, Jakko and Sakko or something. Wait, isn't there a third one? A girl, right?" Yakko could make out large yellow teeth smiling at him. A larger figure stepped by his side.

"Yeah, Dot's here name. Where's she at? I haven't had fun yet with anyone tonight. Carl got the last tramp." The two men chuckled.

Yakko scowled as he heard Wakko growl behind him. His brother had a tendency to act without thinking, and he really hoped he would use his head for once.

"Shut up!" Wakko yelled. Yakko quickly grabbed his shoulder and pushed him farther back.

"Hey look, the little one can talk! That damn show makes you out to be mute, you know that?" Herb grinned.

"Excuse my brother. It's been a long day, as you two can probably understand, so we'll just get going now." Yakko said as he began pulling Wakko away from the two men.

"Hey not so fast, shorty. We ain't done talkin' yet!" Carl yelled.

Yakko grabbed Wakko and took off as the men sprung towards them. He was practically carrying Wakko as they ran down the street, dodging the destruction left by the earthquake. Herb and Carl had quickly closed in on him. They were in pretty good shape for two goons, he thought.

Seeing no other option, Yakko used his toonspeed. It took all of his concentration and power to avoid running into something. After sprinting for several blocks, Yakko finally lost the men. He placed Wakko on the ground as he collapsed behind a loose boulder.

"Yakko, I think we're near the lot." Wakko said as his brother lay gasping for air.

"Oh good. Let's just stop and rest for a min-" he huffed.

"Come on! We're almost there!" Wakko pulled him up and dragged him down the street.

The familiar neighborhood was destroyed. Very few buildings still stood, and the ones that did were barely holding up. Bricks and steel sat in mangled piles. Yakko's frown pulled down further as they approached the entrance of the Warner Brothers studio. He stepped forward and moved past the warped gates.

The entire lot was in ruins. He sighed as they walked past the fallen water tower. While he had hated the inconvenience of living there, it had been their first real home. Sighing, he turned his head and searched for the spot where they had lost Dot.

"I think that's the crater she fell in." Wakko said as he pointed to a large hole in the earth. Yakko's stomach clenched as they moved towards it.

"Listen, Wakko. If we find Dot and she's not... well..." he drifted off solemnly.

How could he tell his brother that they're little sister could be dead? He didn't want to hear it either, and an uncomfortable argument ensued after he brought it up last time, but he had to prepare him for the worst possible outcome.

"I just don't think she is. I know that this sounds stupid, but I think we could feel it if she's gone." Wakko said.

Yakko pulled him against his side. Fearing that Wakko was being overly optimistic, he let go of him and leaned over the side of the pit. He saw nothing and the knot inside of him unraveled a bit. However, the earth looked scarred by flames and soot covered the pit. The knot tightened once again.

"Wait, look!" Wakko yelled as he bounced into the crater.

"Wakko, get back here! You don't know what's down there- oh, for the love of-" Yakko rolled his eyes and joined his brother.

Wakko leaned forward and picked up a small piece of fabric. Yakko's heart began racing. It was one of Dot's bows. While they only used their signature costumes on the show, Wakko and Dot loved their headpieces so much that they wore them everyday. Yakko had become so accustomed to seeing the red cap and bow that he often did a double take when his siblings were not wearing them.

"She has to be alive! We've got to find go find her!" Wakko was practically jumping up and down.

"I know, but where do we start looking?"

"Uhh... Dot likes clothes and stuff, so maybe... the mall?" Yakko shook his head at his usually insightful brother.

"Wakko, use your head! How do you think Dot would be able to get to the mall after an earthquake? It's probably destroyed."

"Well I'm just throwing suggestions out there! I don't actually think she'd go there, but it's a start." he huffed.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry. You have a good point. How about we just start searching around the lot? I mean, she couldn't have gotten too far."

* * *

"Get your ass going, Oswald." Bosko said as he shoved the toon.

Oswald growled and slowly sat up. Bosko watched as he rubbed his back. Gonzo's apartment, or shack as Bosko regarded it, was small and dingy. The floor boards were worn down and slightly rotted. Torn and faded wallpaper hung loosely on the walls as dim light trickled in through two grimy windows in the front room. A shabby green couch with countless stains, some of which Bosko was sure were blood, sat under one of the windows.

Several creaky chairs surrounded a table cluttered with empty beer bottles, and a stale, smokey odor filled the rooms. A surprisingly clean but outdated bathroom was located next to the kitchen, which was in a similar state. The cabinets were falling off of their hinges and the linoleum was cracked.

But the worst room was definitely the one Bosko and Oswald had slept in. It was the smallest room in the apartment. Two moldy mattresses lay next to each other on the worn shag carpet. There were no windows in the cracked walls, and the room was stiflingly hot.

"These bricks are impossible to sleep on..." Oswald muttered.

"Don't worry. We'll be at Smokey's tonight. Hopefully his place won't remind me of an old shoe box."

"What about an old show box?" Gonzo said as he stood in the small doorway. He eyed the two toons suspiciously.

"Your place, Gonzo. It's like a friggin' shoe box, smell and all." Bosko said.

"Hey, you try and get by on the salary I'm making."

"A salary? What, you the newest fry cook at McDonald's now?" Oswald snickered.

"Yeah, no. Me and my boys get jobs, remember? I'd count this as one right now, in fact."

"What, you still expecting us to pay you for this? I thought I made it clear that you were doing this purely out of charity. Besides, you still owe us for Clampett." Bosko said.

"Owe you? What the hell for?"

"Let's face it, fox. You wouldn't have lasted two hours in prison if it weren't for us. Half of those convicts in there were gunning for you, since you basically ratted em' out in the first place." Bosko scowled.

"What the hell are you talking about? I can handle myself now and I could handle myself then. And don't you go accusing me of ratting them out! I was working for Smokey then, you know, just helping him tie up a few loose ends."

"Exactly. You're just some kiss ass who does everyone else's dirty work. And I don't see how you're getting paid for all of it. It's obvious none of the money is going into this dump."

"Don't you dare accuse me of being some push over. You don't know half of the shit I've gone through." Gonzo growled and stepped closer to Bosko.

"I don't need to. I have my own shit to deal with, and to be honest, no one really cares about yours. Your just a little henchman with big dreams." Bosko shrugged. Gonzo stared at him with a dark look. His breaths were deep and his eyes were practically piercing through him. He looked like he was going to attack Bosko at any moment.

"Okay, you two. I'm hungry and your arguing isn't putting a sandwich in my face, so let's just chill out and get some breakfast. You got eggs in the fridge, Gonzo?" Oswald butted in. Gonzo gave Bosko a final glare before turning towards Oswald.

"Yeah. I'll go turn on the stove." he started to walk out of the room but stopped in the door way.

"Oh, and Bosko? After all this is over, don't contact me again and don't try to start any shit. I don't care if you helped me out in Clampett, because you know what? I'm free. I don't have to listen to your bullshit. I have my own connections and my own turf, so don't piss me off again. I'm only helping you out because of Oswald." With that, Gonzo left Bosko and Oswald in the room.

"Nice going, Bosko. You just cut off one of the last toons who would help you. We both know that all the connections stuff you spewed last night was crap." Oswald said.

"Well I had to let him know who's boss around here!"

"Who is? Because it's definitely not you. All of your boys are either dead or in jail, so don't go thinking your still the shit. If you haven't noticed, Gonzo and Smokey have pretty much picked up everything you left behind when you got shipped off to Clampett. You're not the biggest thug anymore." Oswald snapped.

"What the hell are you talking about? Of course I am! Ever since that damn bunny stole my gig, I've ran the streets. I'm the one who gave all those nobodies jobs and a reason to live in the first place! I'm like a savior around here!" Bosko yelled.

"No, you threw your reason to live on them. You've been so consumed by getting revenge that you're turning into some big, heartless ball of hate. I mean, most of our conversations are about freakin' Bugs Bunny!" Oswald said.

"Oh, and what, like you don't want revenge on that Disney freak?"

"Yes, but I want to have a life, too, you know."

"How can you have a life when he took it away from you!" Bosko yelled.

"You're missing the point! Look, I'm still in this with you, but you need to loosen up. Just take a second to calm down and then come eat." Oswald sighed and walked out of the room. Bosko slumped down on his mattress.

What the hell was Oscar talking about? He had always had a life. Hell, he used to be the biggest cartoon in the business! If it weren't for him, most cartoons wouldn't be where they are today. Gonzo and Bugs Bunny should be on their hands and knees thanking him for everything he'd done for them. But Oswald did have a point. Most of his old "friends" were gone, and Gonzo was one of the last connections he had.

Letting out a sigh, Bosko placed his head in his hands. Maybe if he had just kept cool, Gonzo wouldn't have cut ties with him. But it felt like the little thug had only appreciated his wallet, back when he still had money, and not all that he had sacrificed for him in Clampett.

He got in countless fights defending the fox, and even spent a week in solitary confinement for busting up a zebra's face after he threatened to shank Gonzo. In a twisted way, Gonzo was like his kid. Bosko was always there to wipe off his ass when he fell down, and now that was all over. Maybe they would eventually work it out, but it was very unlikely at this point. Gonzo was a one and done kind of guy.

Hopefully, Bosko wasn't going to burn any bridges with Smokey. He was running rather thin on "friends" right now.


	4. Chapter 4

"Okay, you can come out now." Bugs said as they turned onto a main road. Dot popped her head out of his jacket and gulped for fresh air.

"You smell like rotten carrots." Dot said in between coughs. After spending about forty-five minutes inhaling the same stale air, Dot savored the cold breeze that rushed at her cheeks.

"Oh come on, just because I'm a rabbit doesn't mean I automatically smell like carrots." Bugs muttered.

"So the moldy carrot I found in your pocket doesn't play into the stereotype?"

"Well- wait, how do you know what a stereotype is? You're six!" he exclaimed, grabbing the carrot from her and shoving it into his pocket.

"Yakko told me and Wakko what it meant after we started _Animaniacs_. He said that even though a lot of people might think we are just like the characters we play on the show, we shouldn't believe them."

"It's good you learned that early. A lot of new stars get overwhelmed by stuff like that."

"Yeah. Though some of it is true. I mean, you do have a carrot hanging out of your mouth whenever I see you." she giggled.

"Just like I see you little scamps running around the lot?"

"Well, it's not like Ralph's always chasing us when we are 'running around the lot.' The show makes it seem like we're always in trouble, but it's really only half the time," she smirked. "But it isn't totally wrong. Wakko does eat a ton and Yakko never shuts up. Oh, and I am definitely adorable-"

"Of course." Bugs rolled his eyes.

"-but there's more to us, you know?" she sighed. "I know Yakko said not to worry about it, but it's hard when a lot of people believe things about us that aren't true."

"Don't let that bother you, kid. It doesn't matter what the fans think as long as you're happy with yourself."

"Yeah I know. Though you do realize that you sound like Scratchy right now, right?" Dot said as Bugs shifted her weight.

"Really? I didn't know I had an incurably terrible German accent."

"You know what I mean! He's always so cheesy like that." she sighed.

"Yeah, but the guy doesn't give advice just for the heck of it, well most of the time at least. You should listen to him more often."

"He is annoying and weird, but maybe he's not completely hopeless. Do you think he's okay?" she said. Bugs pursed his lips.

"Hopefully. We'll look around for him when we get to the shelter."

Dot nodded her head. While she usually tried to avoid the psychiatrist, as he had a tendency to pry about her life and problems, she hoped that he was okay. Scratchansniff had always checked in on Dot and her brothers whenever they were sick or facing some kind of problem.

The doctor had even let them stay with him when part of the water tower's roof collapsed last summer. The studio was originally going to have them stay in the lot's hotel, which was reserved for visiting employees and stars, but Scratchansniff insisted that his home was "a more acceptable place for the little monkeys to wreak havoc in."

While Dot wasn't thrilled about spending two weeks with Scratchy, it hadn't been too horrible. His apartment was much more modern than she had anticipated and was large enough for her to have her own bedroom. It was located near the lot and, much to the surprise of the Warners, the doctor even had a game room.

A large oak pool table sat in the middle of the room while various arcade games lined the walls. Dot thought Wakko was going to faint when he saw this since he, and apparently Scratchy, loved to play video games. Though Yakko did make her and Wakko get Scratchy a gift when it was time to go home. Although Dot had found the stay to be relatively painless, she didn't want the doctor to think that they had become buddies. He was just too nosy.

However, Dot did end up making him a card ("Thanks a lot Scratchy- Dot"), and to her relief, their relationship continued as it had before. He would ask her how she was and she would say fine. He would then try to dig deeper, making her even more tight-lipped in return. But even though she wasn't extremely fond of him, Dot still wondered if he was okay. Heck, finding anyone familiar would be nice at the moment.

"Here we are. Now, I'm gonna put you down, but stay close and don't run off. Got it?" Bugs said as they approached a large high school. She nodded.

He set her down and took her hand. An odd ball of energy was growing in her stomach as they walked through the doors. Dot couldn't tell if it was dread or excitement, so she decided it was a mixture of both. She hoped that her brothers would be here, yet the possibility that they weren't hung over her. Taking a deep breath, Dot turned into the crowded gym and clutched Bugs's hand.

"Hello, dears. Would you like a cot and some soup?" an elderly woman greeted them with a soft smile. Her wrinkled hands shook when she held out a bowl of chicken noodle soup. Bugs took it and smiled back.

"The young man over there will give you a bed and some blankets. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Actually, there is. Have you seen a skunk or a little guy with guns? Or a stuttering pig, by any chance?" Bugs asked.

"No, I'm afraid I haven't, dear. Though I did see a flying squirrel come in here a few minuets ago. The poor thing had more nuts in his cheeks than I've ever seen, and trust me, I've seen more nuts in my day than the number of movies Mickey Rooney has made." she giggled.

"I'll take your word for it, thanks." Bugs said and pulled Dot away.

"How come you didn't just tell her their names? She must have recognized you."

"I'm not too sure about that. Did you see her glasses? They must have been the strongest prescriptions out there. I'd be surprised if she could make out my ears, even. And besides, it's good that she didn't recognize us. The less attention we attract, the better."

"Why's that?" Dot asked.

"Do you really want to be signing autographs in the middle of a natural disaster?" Bugs said as he took a cot from the large pile.

"Good point."

"Why don't you go grab two blankets while I get the other cot." Bugs said.

Dot walked over to the pile of ratty old blankets. After a minute of digging through the blankets, Dot pulled out the two least smelly and discolored ones she could find. She tried to ignore their stale order as she went back to Bugs.

"Where's the other one?" she asked upon noticing the single cot he was holding.

"The guy insisted that we only needed one. He said you could squeeze in... God, if I'm not going to be arrested by the end of this..." Bugs muttered as he took her hand and began searching for an empty spot in the gym.

"I think there's a spot in the corner over there." Dot said. They moved towards the empty space and set down their supplies.

"Why don't we take a stroll around the gym and look for someone we know." he suggested.

Dot followed Bugs as they made their way down the row of toons and humans. She watched as people sat in huddles and talked about various topics. Children no bigger than herself were running around and giggling. Dot longed to join them, but her mission to find her brothers was more important. However, her spirits began to sink as they continued to weave through the gym. Where were Yakko and Wakko?

"Have you seen anyone?" she asked Bugs.

"I've seen a few of the Disney princesses, but no one from Warner Brothers. Maybe if we look over- wait, hold that thought, Dot." she almost lost her footing when Bugs tugged her forward.

"I wasn't even saying anything!"

"I know, but- just one sec."

Bugs pointed to a large figure that was laying under a blanket three sizes two small. Two large yellow feet hung off of the mattress, which sagged under the weight of an over-sized rooster.

As they approached him, she made out the unmistakable features of Foghorn Leghorn. Dot was surprised she hadn't heard his snoring earlier, seeing that several of the people around him were holding pillows over their ears. Bugs went forward and started shaking him. Yet no matter how hard Bugs pushed him around, the rooster remained fast asleep.

"C'mon, doc, wake up," Bugs muttered. "I know he's a deep sleeper, but this is ridiculous. He must have slept right through the earthquake."

"I have an idea."

Dot walked up to Foghorn's head. Careful to not inhale the steady stream of wind exiting his mouth, she yanked his wattle. Almost immediately, he shot up and yelped. She ducked to avoid his flailing arms which, to the annoyance of a toon otter, made contact with several objects and the back of the otter's head.

"Little miss, what in the Sam's heck are you doing? Can't you see I'm sleeping here!" he yelled, causing simultaneous "shhs" to erupt around him.

"Well, we were looking for you, we found you, and you were sleeping. So I had to wake you up." she stated simply.

"You didn't have to- I say- you didn't have to scare the livin' critters out of me!"

"We didn't really have a choice, doc. I tried the conventional methods and they didn't work." Bugs said as he took a step forward. Foghorn stood up and rubbed his eyes.

"Bugs? Thank goodness you're alright. I couldn't find anyone after that darned earthquake. Took me hours just to get here. Are Daffy and them with you?"

"No, the only toon I found was Dot. Looters and slime balls were the only other people out on the streets."

"Yikes- I'm glad you got here in one piece," Foghorn stretched out his back. "Say, where are those two brothers of yours? That little one is always causing trouble."

"I don't know. We got separated and I haven't seen them since. Have you seen them around here?" she asked.

"Can't say that I have. But I'll help you two look around." he smiled at Dot.

"Let's get going before that otter mallets us into the ground." Bugs said, gesturing to the otter who was shooting them a deadly glare as he covered his ears with pillows.

Dot followed Bugs and Foghorn as they chatted away. She caught parts of their conversation ("There's something not right with that boy's head-", "Well, doc, I think you're wrong, there."), but was too invested in peering through the rows to really listen.

Her eyes darted to any black and white toon she could find. While the Warner siblings did not resemble many toons, she noted that a fair portion of those in the gym shared their trait of black fur. As she continued to search through the crowd of toons and humans, a large black mass caught her attention.

"Shoot. Don't look to your left. It's that Pete fellow." she heard Foghorn mutter to Bugs. Just as they began to quicken their pace, the large Disney toon started towards them.

"Well look at that! I didn't know the farmer let all of his animals out of the barn. Shouldn't you two still be cooped up or something?" Pete shouted over the sound of the crowd.

Foghorn and Bugs turned around with large smiles painted across their faces. Another person might think they were genuine, but Dot noted that the smiles didn't quite reach their eyes.

"Pete, is that you? You've gained so much weight that I had to do a double take. Boy,- I say- boy, you're bigger than a hog 'bout to give birth!" Foghorn said with a false tone of sincerity.

"You know, you're right Foghorn," Bugs added. "Is that Babe in there, or is it his mother who you ate for dinner last night?"

"Well maybe I outta have rooster and rabbit stew tonight. Then all the barnyard animals would be together again!" Pete chuckled. "I'm sure you both miss rolling around in your own filth. It would be a shame if you were separated from the pigpen much longer."

"Oh dear, it looks like our flabby friend here is a bit confused. However, I have more important things to do rather than correct you, doc. So, we'll be going if you don't mind." Bugs said as he began to turn away.

"What? Search for that dumb duck and st-stuttering pig? Because they ain't here if you're wondering. I bet that silly water tower rolled right over them. They're probably still buried under all that crap on your lot and, you know, feeding the vultures and whatnot."

Dot's skin crawled at the menacing tone that had arisen in Pete's voice. Bugs stepped forward. His face became hard and any sign of mirth had melted away. Dot was shocked to see the usually witty and happy rabbit become so cold within a single moment. Foghorn had put up a similar front, and the two continued to glare at Pete.

"Now listen here, doc-" Bugs started before Dot tugged on his hand.

"Bugs, let's get out of here. He's not worth it." Pete's gaze traveled down to Dot and his smile widened.

"The little girl's right, bunny. You're not being a very good role model," he turned to Dot and leaned forward. "Say, sweetie, I don't see Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumber anywhere. Did you loose them or are they with the duck and the pig? Cause I don't think these bozos can really help you if they are."

Dot crossed her arms and glared at him. How dare he say that about her brothers!

"Really? Because they were doing fine until you opened your fat mouth," Dot said. "And by the way, I think you're in the wrong place. Free Willy auditions are that way." she pointed towards the gym doors.

"Ooh, what a feisty little thing you are, thinking you can insult me. Why, I might even be a bit offended if you weren't such a short-stack." Pete chuckled. He went to pat the top of her head but she pulled away.

"What? I'm just telling the truth." she fired back.

"Whatever you say, kid," Pete chuckled. "Now, while this is all fine and dandy, I have some business to attend to. See you fools later!" With that, the large toon made his way down the row of cots.

"What was that?" Dot turned to Bugs and Foghorn.

"That, little lady, was what you'd call an idiot. Pay him- I say- pay him no heed." Foghorn said, shaking his head.

"Yeah. Let's just keep looking." Bugs said and took her hand.

They moved through the crowd at a slow pace. The long aisles between rows were quickly being engulfed by cots and bodies as more toons and humans came into the shelter. The constant chattering echoed off of the walls and the noise level was steadily increasing. Dot, quite frankly, was concerned that the gym would explode with so many people inside of it.

Five minutes passed, then ten. Bugs and Foghorn exchanged a few words, but they mostly walked in silence. Dot trudged behind them. Although she wasn't tired, her body felt heavy and sore. Her wrist still ached and she was growing increasingly frustrated. She tried her best to peer over the crowd, but was usually stuck staring at legs and tails. Maybe if she got a little closer...

"Umph!" Dot hit the hard wooden floor. Even with her short stature, she somehow failed to notice the cot in front of her and managed to trip over the corner.

"You alright?" Bugs asked as she got up.

"Yeah, I'm fine- wait, Scratchy?"

The psychiatrist was fast asleep on the cot. His snoring was soft and a bit nasally, and a small pool of drool had spilled onto his pillow. Dot shook his shoulder. Startled, Scratchansniff sprang up and his glasses flew off of his face.

"Gah! What's going on- Dot?" he said.

"Hey Scratchy!" she said. For probably the first time in her life, Dot was thrilled to see the psychiatrist.

"Goodness, Dot. You scared the schnitzel out of me!" Scratchensniff said as he clutched his heart.

"She has a habit of doing that." Foghorn muttered, earning a small smile from Bugs.

"Why hello Foghorn, Bugs. What are you all doing here?"

Being sheltered after an earthquake- the same as you, Dot thought. As usual, the doctor was asking questions he already knew the answer to. She just didn't understand how the psychiatrist's mind worked.

"We're looking for toons from the studio. Have you seen Yakko and Wakko?" she asked. Scratchansniff gave her an odd look and pointed to the cot next to him.

"Yes, they're right- oh no..." he said as he frantically groped for his glasses and he shoved them onto his face.

"Um, no one's there Scratchy." Dot said, swallowing hard.

"No, they were there before I feel asleep! I picked them up on the lot and brought them here with me yesterday. They must have gone out to look for you..."

"What? It's too dangerous out there!" Dot shouted, feeling the knot in her stomach release a little bit. Although she was worried for her brothers' safety, Dot was relieved to know they made it out of the earthquake.

"I know and I told them that! I thought I made it clear that it was probably useless and too risky to go out."

"Useless?" Dot asked.

"Well, we didn't know if you had... made it..." Scratchansniff trailed off.

"Oh." Dot looked down. She felt Bugs' hand squeeze her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Dot. At least we know they're alright," he said. Noticing her discouraged look, he continued. "How bout' this. Me and Foghorn will go out and look while you stay here with Dr. Scratchansniff. Just don't run off, deal?" Her features brightened slightly as she nodded. He looked over at the rooster, who nodded in return.

"Okay then. We'll see you two in a few hours." Bugs said as he and Foghorn made their way towards the door.

* * *

Yakko trudged beside Wakko. They had been moving through the lot for about an hour or two now. After searching the studios and alleys for any sign of their missing sister, both brothers felt discouraged. Nothing had come up.

"I don't think she's here, Wak." Yakko said.

They had looked in every corner on this side of the lot. Other than a few emergency workers who had said they hadn't seen Dot, Yakko and Wakko found nothing. Well, Wakko did find that one vending machine. But he had inhaled most of the snacks before Yakko even realized it was there. When he did reach the machine, Yakko was stuck with the remaining granola bars and fruit snacks.

"Maybe... What about the water tower? We haven't looked there yet." Wakko said.

Yakko felt stupid. They hadn't stopped to check when they walked by earlier. Not only was it the most likely place Dot would be, but it might have a few items that could be useful. Well, so long as they weren't destroyed.

"Good idea. Should've thought of that myself." Yakko muttered.

"Don't worry. You have a habit of not thinking." Wakko said with a mischievous smile. Yakko pulled his red cap down over his eyes.

"Then it must be a family trait," Yakko said. "Come on, let's get going."

After stepping around countless piles of rubble and destroyed buildings, cars, and other items, Yakko and Wakko finally made it to the fallen tower. Well, what was left of it, anyway. Large dents littered the walls and the metal legs were severely twisted. Yakko climbed onto the structure and opened the bent door. He pulled Wakko up next to him.

"Wait here for a sec. I wanna make sure it's safe in there before you go in." Yakko said. He dropped down into their living room. A layer of plaster and dust covered their belongings, which were mostly damaged and strewn about the room. He walked around for a few minutes to see if there were any weak spots in the structure. Finding none, he called up to Wakko.

"Alright. You can come down now- UMPH!" Yakko fell to the ground as Wakko's weight came crashing down on him. "Jeez, Wak. At least warn me first." Yakko rubbed the back of his head.

"Sorry." Wakko said as he got off of Yakko.

"It's alright. Let's just start looking. She might be asleep in here or something, so don't sneak up on her. Oh, and here's a flashlight." Yakko pulled to flashlights out of his hammerspace and handed one to Wakko. They separated and moved to different parts of the tower.

Wakko flashed the light down the hallway. He gulped as eerie shadows danced on the cracked walls around him. Their once comforting home currently reminded him of a horror movie, which he absolutely hated. While Yakko loved scary movies, Wakko thought they were just so... creepy. He never admitted this to anyone other than his siblings, but they gave him nightmares.

"Dot?" he called out as he quickened his pace towards Dot's room.

Wakko was practically running by the time he reached her "excessively pink and fluffy bedroom," as he called it. He stumbled and tripped over debris as he approached her bed. Falling into a pile of Dot's stuffed animals, Wakko suppressed a scream when the beam from his flashlight illuminated a clown across the room. Realizing it was just one of his sister's toys, he stood up and looked around the room. He moved onto Yakko's bedroom down the hall after seeing her room was empty.

Unlike his own room, Yakko kept his extremely neat and tidy. Every item had it's own designated space and every space was left uncluttered and clean. The covers on his bed always laid flat and unwrinkled, and his clothing hanged neatly in his closet. Yakko had even gone to the extent of organizing his clothes by color. Even with a layer of dust and grim, Yakko's room still felt clean and organized. However, many of the books on Yakko's shelf had fallen to the floor and a tattered, worn book lay on the carpet surrounded by pristine, new hardcover editions.

"Well, this doesn't look like Yakko," Wakko muttered as he picked up the book. Faded gold lettering appeared after he rubbed dust off of the cover. " _Photos_... hmm."

Carefully, he opened the aged book. A discolored black and white picture was pasted on the first page. Two toons who looked just like Wakko and his siblings stared up at him. He read the small writing at the bottom of the picture.

 _Dorothy and Herman Warner- married 1934._

He turned the page to find a handful of newspaper articles.

 _May 1935- Mr. and Mrs. Herman Warner welcome baby girl, Cecelia... January 1939- Clarke Warner born to Mr. and Mrs... July 1942- Mrs. Dorothy Warner gives birth to son James three months after her husband's tragic death..._

Wakko's throat hitched. That was Dad's name. He turned to the next page and found a picture of three children.

 _Cecelia, 10, Clarke, 6, and James, 3- 1945._

Wakko continued to look through pictures of his father until he found another page of articles.

 _1953- Cecelia Warner marries George Heckman... 1954- Mr. and Mrs. Heckman welcome twins, Terrance and Phoebe... 1955- Dorothy Warner marries cartoon producer Danzo Martins... 1957- Daphne Martins born to Mrs. Dorothy Martins and Mr. Danzo Martins... 1958- James Warner, first toon accepted to Julliard... 1963- Clarke Warner, 24, found dead in dumpster behind bar on Walt Ave... 1965- Dorothy and Danzo Martins announce divorce after ten years of marriage..._

His ears perked up when he heard a clang out in the hallway followed by a loud swear from Yakko. Shaking his head, he continued reading.

 _1970- James Warner stars in major motion picture... 1972- Dorothy Martins dies from sudden heart attack... 1973- Terrance Heckman arrested for the murder of his girlfriend... 1975- Phoebe Heckman and her two year old son, Peter, missing after suspicious fire ravishes Towntown apartment building. Heckman's ex-boyfriend and father of her son is prime suspect... 1978- Daphne Martins pleads guilty after arrest for stealing $200,000. Father Danzo Martins says he no longer speaks with her and will not raise her four year old daughter, Heather..._

More pictures and articles filled the next few pages. He smiled when he saw a picture of his parents on their wedding day.

 _1979- Toontown starlet Coco Montgomery marries actor James Warner. The couple says 'it's time to settle down'... 1980- James and Coco Warner welcome first born, Yakko... 1983- Cecelia Heckman dead from cancer at 48... 1984- Coco Warner gives birth to second son, Wakko... 1988- Warners welcome baby girl, Dorothy... 1989- James and Coco Warner die in car crash. Their three young children are now wards of the state..._

"Hey, Wakko. What are you looking at?"

Wakko jumped and turned to find Yakko standing in the doorway.

"I was looking in here when I found this old album. I've never seen it before. Where did you get it?" Wakko asked as Yakko took a seat beside him.

"It was at home for as long as I can remember. Mom used to show it to me when I was little, so I wanted to take it with us when the people from the orphanage came to get us." Yakko said.

"How did you hide it? They didn't let us take anything other than our clothes."

"Hammerspace, Wak."

"Oh, right." Wakko muttered. He'd forgotten their Dad taught Yakko how to open his hammerspace. He watched Yakko flip through the first few pages.

"I forgot how depressing this thing was. Mom didn't let me read most of these newspaper cut outs, so I didn't know most of this stuff until after they died." Yakko said with a small frown.

"I didn't know we had aunts and an uncle. Or cousins. Or that Grandma got remarried. In fact, I didn't know any of this stuff, really." Wakko muttered, crossing his arms.

"Well, what was I supposed to tell you, Wak? That our family's history is as cheery as 'Sophie's Choice'? I didn't want you and Dot to have to deal with those things."

"Then why'd you keep it if it's so horrible?" Wakko asked.

"Because not all of it is horrible." Yakko took the book from his hands and turned the page.

He was looking at Yakko's baby picture. Some of them showed just Yakko while others had their parents feeding, bathing, or playing with him. Wakko turned the page again and found his own baby pictures. There was one of him and Yakko playing with a toy truck and another of them wrestling with their Dad.

His heart swelled when he saw one of their family cuddling on the couch. He was sandwiched between his parents, who each had an arm cuddled around him. He felt bad that there weren't as many pictures of Dot, since they died only three months after she was born.

The next picture Wakko saw was one taken recently. It was of him and his siblings standing in front of the water tower. They were holding their contracts for _Animaniacs_ above their chests with large smiles on their faces. Then he found more pictures of them taken around the lot. One was of Dot and him getting ready for a shoot, and another was of Dot in the cafeteria holding a tooth she had just lost. There were pictures of Wakko and Dot asleep on the couch together and others of him making faces in the bathroom mirror. Yakko had even managed to catch Wakko playing with Buster and Plucky from _Tiny Toons_ in between takes of their shows.

"You took all of these pictures?" Wakko asked his brother. Yakko nodded.

"Yeah. I wanted to make up for all the time we lost at the orphanage. You're not mad, right?"

"Mad? Why would you think I'd be mad?" Wakko anything, he thought this was pretty cool.

"Because some of these could be counted as an invasion of privacy. I mean, taking a picture of you dancing like Elvis in your underwear is a little weird." Yakko laughed.

"Oh-um, yeah... a little." Wakko blushed. How did he get that picture?

"Well, that's my job of being an annoying big brother. I have to to embarrass you to some extent." Yakko winked.

"I guess. But why isn't Mom in here that much?" he asked.

"This book was originally Grandma Dorothy's, so it only talks about the Warner side of the family. She gave it to Dad before she died." Yakko said.

"Do you know anything about Mom's family?"

"Mom told me that her dad died when she was little. She was an only child so it was just her and Grandma Freida after that. Do you remember her? She died a few months before Dot was born."

"A little. Was she the big woman who always had candy in her pocket?"

"Yup. She was really sweet. Mom was really upset when she died." Yakko said. They sat in silence for a few moments before Yakko spoke up again.

"Well, I think it's safe to say Dot's not in here. Shall we move on to your 'Den of Disgust'?"

"Ha-ha. Sure." Wakko stood up and walked out of the room while Yakko hesitated. Picking up the book, he carefully dusted it off and placed it in his hammerspace before joining his brother.


	5. Chapter 5

"Oswald, hurry up." Bosko yelled behind him.

Bosko, Oswald, and Gonzo had been walking through the slums of Towntown for about an hour. Even though the earthquake had caused extensive damage, Bosko could still make out the bars and stores he went to when he lived here almost 40 years ago. They had even passed his old apartment a few blocks back.

He was relieved to see that it had been completely demolished in the earthquake. The shabby two room piece of crap was nothing more than a place of misery to him. It was where he spent countless nights alone with a bottle of whiskey and his thoughts, forced to face the hell that had become his life. Even Clampett could be more cheery than that place.

But now he finally had an opportunity to put all of that misery behind him for good, so long as Smokey cooperated.

"So, how close are we to Smokey's place?" he asked Gonzo, who hadn't spoken since breakfast.

"Close enough." the fox growled.

Bosko, for once, didn't fire back at Gonzo. Usually he became extremely defensive when he felt disrespected. But Gonzo still hadn't gotten over his little hissy fit, and Bosko didn't want to add any more fuel to the fire. Maybe Oswald was right. Maybe he did need Gonzo on his side.

Or maybe he needed to dump the fox and do things on his own, like he always had.

"Is that you, Boskie?" a screechy voice called out behind him. He turned around to find a panther, who wore a little too much make up and let the collar of her blouse fall a little too low, running towards him.

"Sylvia?" he said.

"Boskie, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you still be in the slammer?" she screeched as she jumped on him. He roughly shoved her off. "What's wrong Boskie?"

"What's wrong? You stole all my cash and took off 40 years ago!" he yelled and began to walk away.

"You have to understand, I was pregnant and desperate!"

"Yeah, with another guy's kid." Bosko glared. She hesitated before following him again.

"We don't know that! Boskie, you have to see her. She's all grown up now with two little boys-"

"Oh, I've seen her. She's blonde with a freakin' beak. If you hadn't noticed, neither of us are blonde and I don't have a beak!"

"But Boskie, I love you! I've waited so long for you!"

"Save it. You've slept with half of the toons at Clampett. Just get lost." he stormed away, leaving a dumbstruck Sylvia behind.

He noticed that Sylvia hadn't changed much in 39 years. While she seemed to have gained some weight and lose quite a few inches on her skirt, the same face he remembered was still hidden behind a disgusting layer of makeup. He wasn't surprised by this, since a toon basically stops aging once they reach adulthood and often look the same until the end of their lives, with the exception of some gray hair/fur. A lot of them even lived an average of 50 years more than humans.

"What the hell was that?" Oswald asked as he and Gonzo caught up.

"None of your damn business." Bosko muttered angrily.

"Whatever. Keep your girl problems to yourself, then." Oswald said. They glared at each other before moving on.

"Well that was awkward," Gonzo said to Oswald, who rolled his eyes in return. "Smokey's place is a few blocks down."

They continued down the street and stopped in front of a small, run down building. Gonzo stepped forward and knocked on the door. A large rat opened it.

"Hey, Frank. Smokey in there?" Gonzo asked.

"Yeah, he's in his office," he said, looking over Bosko and Oswald. "Who are they?"

"Remember Bosko and Oswald? They got sacked right after you started working here." Gonzo said. Frank's eyes widened.

"That's them? They're smaller than I thought they'd be. My kid has bigger dolls than that." he whispered to Gonzo.

"You stupid sewer rat-" Bosko jumped towards Frank, but Oswald held him back before he could throw a punch. Gonzo rolled his eyes and gestured for Frank to go inside.

"Take a few minutes to cool him down. Smokey doesn't like a hot head." Gonzo said to Oswald before following the rat.

"What the hell? Do you really want to piss off Smokey, too? Get it together!" Oswald yelled, shoving Bosko. "Unlike you, I actually wanna get out of this in one piece. So watch yourself in front of him."

"Hmph."

The two toons walked into the front room. It was sparsely furnished with a yellow couch and two green chairs. Bosko opened the wooden door on the opposite wall, revealing a long staircase. He stared down into a dim hallway.

"Remember to watch yourself." Oswald said as they descended down the stairs. Bosko rolled his eyes and walked ahead of him.

The hallway led to Smokey's large and sophisticated office. Bosko peered in through a crack in the office door. He watched as Smokey paced behind his desk, glaring at Gonzo. The fox sat across from him and looked equally unhappy. Bosko put out his arm to stop Oswald from going in and put a finger over his lips.

"So you really won't work with Bosko?" Smokey asked. His pacing had slowed to a halt behind his desk chair.

"No. I'm done with the asshole. You know I never really liked him. I mean, I put up with him in Clampett, sure, but I don't have to now. He's just a bitter has been who treats everyone around him like shit." Gonzo fumed.

"That's too bad. Me and him go way back, you know. He got me out of some stuff before he got shipped off, and I feel inclined to pay him back for it. Oh, and if I do recall correctly, you still haven't gotten me that $50,000 I lent you," Smokey shot a sly grin at Gonzo. "I'm feeling generous today, so how 'bout this; I'll consider that money paid off if you help me and Bosko. And when I say help Bosko, I mean it. Get over whatever it is your pissed about and work with him. I don't have time for your girly drama."

"But you don't know what he did-"

"I know that Bosko is a good partner who always holds up his end of a deal, so shut up and work with him or I'll come knocking for that money." Smokey grunted, anger had rising in his voice.

"Fine. But don't think I'm happy about it." Gonzo said, matching his tone.

"Why would I? I don't care about your emotions and that sappy crap." Smokey snorted. Bosko took this opportunity to knock on the door.

"Come in."

Bosko and Oswald entered the room. Unlike the rest of the building, Smokey's office well kept. Bookshelves lined the creme colored walls and several leather chairs sat around a stone fireplace. Smokey flashed a crooked, yellow grin as they approached the desk.

"Bosko buddy, it's good to see you've made it out of hell pretty unscathed," Smokey said as he shook Bosko's hand. "You too, Oswald. It must feel good to be out of there."

"Sure does." Bosko muttered.

"I bet. Now, I'm assuming you two didn't come here for a friendly chat." Smokey said as he sat down in his chair. Bosko took a deep breath.

"I have a job I need help with, and since you're the best in town I figured I'd come to you."

"Gonzo just told me about it. Said that you want to take out the bunny."

"That's right." Bosko smirked.

"Then you'll be happy to know I ran into him a few days ago. He was hangin' around near the border of Toontown and Burbank." Smokey said. A devious smile crept onto Bosko's face.

"Were any of those freaks with him?"

"Nah, just a little girl. She's on that _Animaniacs_ show with her brothers. You seen it?" Smokey asked.

Bosko nodded. He remembered watching it a few times at Clampett. If they behaved, the prisoners were allowed to spend an hour each day in the game room, which was really just a room with three shoddy pool tables, several torn couches, and a TV that only played Toontown's comedy channel, which showed all of the major cartoons, like _Tiny Toon Adventures_ and _Looney Tunes_ , and was the most popular station among the toon community.

"Yeah, Yakko, Wakko, and Dot, right?" he said.

"That's them. We think they're traveling with the bunny, so I'll have my boys on the lookout for them."

"We?" Oswald asked.

"Me and my right hand man, Tango. He's been here for about ten years. You'll meet him later," Smokey said. "You picked a good time for this job. The earthquake will provide the perfect cover for anything we do to the bunny, and I've got a few new recruits who can do some serious damage."

"Good. I'll need all the help I can get." Bosko said.

"Whoa, what's all this 'I' talk I'm hearing? You know this is a partnership now, right? And my work doesn't come cheap." Smokey said. Gonzo snorted and crossed his arms.

"Listen, I'm broke right now but if you give me some time I can-"

"No, I have plenty of money. What I'm asking for is service," Smokey pulled open a desk draw and took out a manila folder. "I help you so you help me."

"What do you have in mind?" Bosko asked. The rat pushed the folder towards him.

"I want to take over Towntown."

* * *

"Well, I think I'll go back to my cot now." Dot yawned. She started towards her and Bugs's spot, but was blocked by Dr. Scratchansniff.

"Oh no, Dot. Bugs told you to stay here with me. It's too dangerous for you to be alone with all these people here."

"But Scratchy-"

"No buts, Dot. Why don't we have a little chat, hmm?"

Dot silently groaned as he guided her back to the cot. _Oh great, an infamous Scratchy speech._ The last thing she wanted to do right now was talk about her feelings. Dot sat down and rested her head on her hand, inwardly groaning at the corny conversation to come.

"Now Dot, this must be very hard for you, ja?" he waited for a response. After receiving nothing but an empty stare, he continued. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine." she said.

"Oh come now, Dot. I highly doubt that you are fine after being separated from your brothers. It's unhealthy to bottle up all of your feelings like this."

"I'm not bottling anything up. I just don't feel like talking right now."

"But that's just the problem. If you don't talk about your emotions now, they will continue to dwell inside of you and become too much to control." he said.

She turned her head to the side and let out a small sigh. What was he talking about, she was fine! Her brothers had made it out of the earthquake and were alright, and that's all that mattered right now. Sure, they were missing, but that's because they're looking for her. Besides, they couldn't have gotten too far. The area is so damaged that it takes 20 minutes just to make it down one street. Bugs and Foghorn will find them in no time, right?

"Really, Scratchy, you're making too big of a deal out of this. Once Yakko and Wakko come back, everything will be alright again." she claimed.

"But Dot, what if they don't find them. What if something happened to them? Or to Slappy and Skippy or anyone else from the show? Aren't you concerned for them, too?"

Dot hadn't really thought about the rest of the cast, since she had been too consumed with thinking about Wakko and Yakko to wonder about them. She was good friends with Skippy and had always respected Slappy, so the thought of them being hurt made her heart sink a bit. Were they alright? What about Pinky and Brian? Or Mindy and Buttons? Heck, now she was even worried about the mime.

"Of course I am, but talking about it isn't going to make everyone okay!" she raised her voice.

"But it will make you feel better, Dot. I promise." Scratchansniff sighed.

"No, it won't. I'll only feel better when Yakko and Wakko come back." she turned her back to him.

"What if they're hurt? What if they don't come back? You need to accept these possibilities in order to deal with your emotions."

"No, what I need is for you to get off my case. Yakko, Wakko, and everyone else is fine!"

Dot jumped off the cot and ran through the rows of people. Scratchansniff trailed closely behind, and she had to dodge his hands several times to avoid being caught. She sped up and turned into a sea of toons as he shouted at her to stop. After weaving around countless bodies and cots, Dot finally lost the doctor when she ran into one of the school's hallways. Gasping for air, she slowed down and leaned against a locker. _Ow, Dot,_ she thought. Bad idea to toonspeed right now.

Though she was glad that she could outrun Scratchy. Between learning the breathing techniques and acquiring the mindset needed for toonspeeding, many toons had difficultly learning this talent, which took years of practice to perfect. But even though the theory behind it was difficult to understand, Dot easily picked it up. She even mastered it before Yakko, which hardly ever happened during their tutoring. It was rare if she ever could do something before her oldest brother could.

Dot slid to the floor and rested her head against the cool metal. She wiped away the beads of sweat on her forehead, wishing she had some water. Her stomach growled and her eyes were growing heavy.

Looking around, Dot noticed that the hallway was completely deserted. She could still hear the muffled noises from the gym, but decided she was safe from Scratchy. While he was an accomplished toon, the psychiatrist struggled with toonspeed.

Dot only knew this because she overheard a conversation between the writers and director on set. They were trying to find away to accommodate this inability during a scene on the show, but Dot was pulled away by a makeup lady before she could hear their solution. Hopefully, Scratchy wouldn't use the trick they came up with to find her. She was still mad at him after their little "talk."

She slowly closed her eyes. Even though Bugs had teased her for sleeping so much, all she wanted to do was take another nap. She wasn't happy about it, but toonspeeding had tired her out. Her stomach let out a loud, low growl, but she could fix that after a short rest. Laying down, Dot put her hands under her head and entered a deep sleep.

Dot was walking around the water tower. Her feet padded on the cold wooden floors as she made her way down the hall. Light poured in through large windows and danced on the walls and floors. Staring out of a window, she watched small birds chirp cheerfully while sitting on tree branches. Leaves and blossoms swirled around in the wind as a vibrant sunset illuminated the lot. Dot smiled and continued towards the bright room at the end of the hall.

She walked into the living room. It was painted white and held crisp clean furniture. Large buckets of paint were sitting neatly in front of a bare wall, and several paint brushes were stacked next to them. The tower door opened (without the loud screech, for once), and her brothers came bouncing in. Yakko was wearing his baggy brown paints and black belt while Wakko was dressed in his blue sweater and red hat.

Looking down, Dot realized she was in her own _A_ _nimaniacs_ costume. They ran towards her and Wakko grabbed her left hand while Yakko took her right. Pulling her to the paint buckets, Wakko picked up a brush and handed it to her. They took their own and dipped the brushes into the buckets, then brushed them against the white wall.

Dot looked into the buckets, which held red, blue, and yellow paints. She dipped her brush in the blue paint and stroked the wall. After swishing her wrist and swirling the paint, a bright blue sky looked down on her. She added puffy white clouds and two red Cardinals to the painting before putting down the brush.

Dot stepped back and admired her work, feeling it needed one more thing. Picking up a clean brush, Dot dipped it in the yellow paint and added a little butterfly near the bottom. She smiled and turned to her brothers' paintings.

Wakko had created a large dark ocean and cloudy sky. A silver moon peered through the mass of wispy gray clouds and shone a sliver ray of light over the water. While the ocean was relatively calm, a few loose waves rippled through the water. The scene underwater completely contrasted the dreary surface. Colorful sea creatures swam around three coral reefs, and light shimmered through the water. It was much more pleasant than the darkness above.

Dot smiled. Wakko always was the best artist in the family.

She turned to Yakko's painting. It was no masterpiece by any means, but the lines still had a precise and neat appearance. Flames danced in a stone fireplace while a cat lay on an over-sized green recliner. A few tiny kittens were sleeping against her, and another larger cat was sprawled out on the braided rug in front of the fire. A small window showed dozens of stars shining in the night sky. A layer of crisp white snow covered the ground, making the indoor scene feel cozy and inviting.

Her brothers' laughter rang out behind her. She watched as they tossed a baseball back and forth, doing goofy tricks in between each pitch. Yakko would jump around on his tail like a spring while Wakko used his tongue to catch the ball. Dot laughed along with them, wearing the smile she usually reserved for Christmas morning or moments like this with her brothers.

Yakko tossed the ball to Dot. She went to catch it, but it fell through her hands at the last second. A scream pierced the air when the ball hit the ground. The room started to spin as fear filled her brothers' faces. The floor disappeared and Yakko, Wakko, and Dot began falling. Red and white flashed around them as the vortex transported them to another dimension.

Dot slammed against a hard surface. The whirling stopped and she sat up, taking in her surroundings. Familiar brown plaster walls surrounded Dot and her brothers. A single light bulb hanged over a battered door. She exchanged a terrified look with Yakko and Wakko. A plump woman burst through the door. Her face contorted into a malicious grin as she hobbled towards Dot and her brothers.

The walls closed in as the woman's giant hands stretched out towards the Warners. Dot tried to crawl away, but the hands wrapped around her body and lifted her in the air. She was dropped into a rickety wooden crib and the cries of babies and toddlers surrounded her as more cribs appeared. Several stern nurses in crisp brown uniforms walked past the cribs, ignoring the wails that came from them. Dot tried to pull herself over the railing, but her tiny arms couldn't support her weight.

She was in the body of her two year old self.

The cribs began rolling through bleak brown rooms. Dot glanced around at the other children, whose faces mirrored the fear she felt inside of her. After moving through countless blurry rooms, the cribs finally came to a halt. They were in a shabby play area with older kids. While a few of them argued over broken toys, most of the boys and girls sat in small groups.

Dot found her brothers playing with a rubber band ball. Looking sad and defeated, they meekly rolled it back and forth. She pulled on the crib's bars but they wouldn't budge. Deciding the crib was too strong to break, Dot tried to scoot the structure over towards Yakko and Wakko.

Large hands clamped down on the sides of the crib, and the plump woman glared down at Dot. She picked her up and dragged her away from the other children. After entering a dirty closet labeled "Nurse's office," the woman roughly placed her on a metal table. Turning around, she rummaged through a cabinet and pulled out a bucket with "medical supplies" scrawled across it, which was really just a pile of gauze and an empty bottle of hydrogen peroxide.

She picked up the gauze and pulled a needle out of her apron pocket. Dot scooted back on the table as she came towards her. Looking for an escape, she found none. The door had disappeared and the woman's enormous figure blocked Dot from jumping off the table. She hastily grabbed Dot's shoulder and shook her.

"Wake up!" she yelled, shaking Dot harder. Dot's vision blurred and the woman's voice grew deeper.

"Wake up, doc!"

Dot rubbed her eyes as Bugs shook her shoulders. She let out a small groan and he stopped. Sitting up, she blinked her eyes open and stared at a very aggravated rabbit kneeling in front of her.

"What are you doing back here?" he asked sternly. Dot sat up.

"Uh, me and Scratchy had a little... disagreement. He wouldn't leave me alone so I left."

"But I told you not to run off!"

"Well, I didn't exactly run. I mostly sprinted." she said, trying to lighten the mood. The look on Bugs's face told her it didn't work.

"You know what I meant. Do you know how dangerous that was? What if Pete or some other creep came along? What would you do then?"

"I don't know... I have a mallet." she stammered.

"A mallet won't help you in that case, Dot. I doubt you could take some 300 pound freak. You should've just stayed with Scratchansniff."

"But he was being such a nosy jerk! And he kept saying that Yakko and Wakko might not come back," Dot leaned forward. "Wait, did you find them?" she asked hopefully. Bugs sighed and ran a hand over his face.

"No. I'm sorry kid. We really did look everywhere." Even though his tone had softened, it still had a slight hardness to it.

"It's alright. You tried." Dot hung her head.

"Come on, let's go find Foghorn and Scratchansniff. They're still out looking for you." Bugs said as he pulled her up.

"How long have you been looking?"

"About a half hour. Two for Scratchansniff. You had us pretty worried."

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to make you upset."

"It's alright. Just don't run off like that again," Bugs turned around when he heard the pounding of feet approach them. "Perfect timing."

"Little lady- I say- little lady, what were you thinkin' running away like that-" Foghorn started before being interrupted by Dr. Scratchansniff.

"Dot, that was very irresponsible of you! First your brothers run off and then you- I was worried out of my mind!"

"Calm down, you two. I've already interrogated her and everything's okay." Bugs said as he stepped towards them.

"Yeah, I'm really sorry," she said to the toons. "And Scratchy, I shouldn't have said what I said to you, so I'm sorry for that, too."

"It's alright, Dot. I should have given you more space. How about we all go back and get some dinner. I know I would love some of Frau Bakers soup right now!" Scratchansniff said. Dot smiled and rolled her eyes. Taking Bugs's hand, she and the three toons made their way back to the gym.


	6. Chapter 6

**Another** **update! Woo hoo! Quick note- I just realized I wrote Scratchansniff without an accent... sorry. I should have seen that, since I am taking German. I'm not going to go back to fix it at this point, so just read him with an accent (as I assume you have been doing). Oh, and thank you for the support!**

* * *

"Single file line! Sir, please move away from the tuna!" a man yelled over the crowed.

Dot watched as hoards of people rushed at the table, which had just been loaded with trays of food. After nearly three days of eating watery soup, the refugees at the shelter were ecstatic to see emergency relief workers bring in a variety of meals.

The only person who actually liked the soup was Scratchansniff, and that wasn't saying much seeing that the guy's favorite dish was cow tongue. While Dot hadn't had the chance to try the soup, she could understand their desperation for new food. The chunks of mystery meat floating in brown liquid reminded her of the time the lot's sewerage line broke near the tower. Trying to shake that picture out of her head, Dot turned to Bugs and Foghorn.

"Do you think there'll be anything left by the time we get there?" she asked.

"There will be- I say- there will be if I have anything to say about it." Foghorn grumbled as he took off into the crowd.

"Lord help us all if something comes between him and his dinner," Bugs rolled his eyes and picked up Dot. "Let's get going before we lose him."

Dot, Bugs, and Scratchansniff followed Foghorn as he pushed through the mass of people. Bugs ducked when a hen's large wing flapped over his head, and rolled his eyes when Foghorn stopped and gawked at the her. A loaf of bread was sitting in a crumbled mess on the ground between her and another hen, and the two were engaged in a ferocious fight over it.

Dot held back a laugh as the smaller hen pecked viciously at the larger hen, who was squawking as loud as she could. At this point, Foghorn's eyes were nearly popping out of his head. Bugs grabbed the rooster by his feathers and pulled him away from the scene.

"Aw, come on now, Bugs. That was just getting good! Did you see her-"

"There's a child here, doc." Bugs nodded towards Dot. A small red tinge appeared on Foghorn's face.

"Oh- right. Sorry."

The pushing became worse as they approached the front of the "line." Scratchansniff and Bugs were getting thrown around like rag dolls, while Foghorn was simply shoving his way through the crowd. The man at the table began shouting even louder, ineffectively trying to quell the chaos in front of him.

"Women and children first, please!" he yelled.

"Women and children first? What is this, the Titanic?" Bugs muttered as he shifted Dot's weight. Scratchansniff shrugged his shoulders before being knocked down by an elderly woman next to him. He yelped when she walked over his stomach and whacked him on the head with her cane.

"You heard him, baldy. Outta my way!" she grinned, showing off a poorly fitted pair of dentures. Dot bit her lips to hold back a laugh as Bugs pulled the slightly disoriented psychiatrist off of the ground.

"What was that?" Scratchansniff rubbed his head.

"An unsavory dinner partner, by the looks of it." Bugs chuckled.

"You two- I say- you two are slower than a one legged dog on tranquilizers." Foghorn huffed as he pushed through a group of humans.

"We're going as fast as we can- AHH!" Scratchansniff screamed and ducked as a pie flew over his head. "Don't worry, we're coming!"

They ran to the table and grabbed trays. Shoveling whatever type of food they saw onto their plates, they grabbed bottles of water and turned back into the crowd. Bugs, being careful to not drop the heavy tray or Dot, dodged the rouge elbows of people trying to get to the table. But just as they approached the end of the crowd, a man bumped into Bugs and a cold bowl of pea soup spilled onto Dot.

"Watch where you're going!" she yelled as the soup soaked through her nightgown.

"You alright?" Bugs asked.

"Yeah, but I don't think my clothes are." she said as she looked down at the tattered, dirty, and now slimy green nightgown. But she was relieved to find Muffin, who she had been carrying, mostly unharmed by the soup.

"Don't worry. It looks like that table over there has some clothes," Bugs nodded towards a table stacked with coats, jeans, shoes, and just about any other thing you'd find in a closet. Several people milled around it and were trying to replace their battered outfits with new ones. "Besides, that thing looked pretty rough even before its new embellishment."

"You're stuff has seen better days too, you know," she teased. "They're filthy!"

"Well, I think of dirt as a fashion statement. The ladies love it," Bugs said and Dot rolled her eyes. Although many of the _Looney Tunes_ cast members were usually "naked" on the show, almost all of them wore clothes off camera. "Hey Foghorn, could you take this tray back to our spot while I get Dot something to wear?"

"Sure thing. But you might wanna get something for yourself, too." Foghorn took the tray and went back to their cots with Scratchansniff, who still looked shaken from their unexpectedly hostile dinner run.

"I told you!" Dot exclaimed.

"Yeah, but he doesn't count. He hardly ever wears clothes." Bugs walked over to the table and set Dot down. He moved over to the girl's section and began sifting through the mass of pink clothing.

"Is this your size?" Bugs asked, holding up a frilly dress that was much too small for Dot.

"Are you asking me or Muffin?" she held up the stuffed cat.

"You! I don't know what you wear." he mumbled, putting down the dress. She looked over the clothes and picked up jeans and a white sweater. Moving over to the small selection of jackets, she chose a light blue puffy coat.

"I think these are more my size. Where's the stuff you're getting?"

"We've been over this. I'm quite happy with what I have, thank you."

"Oh come on, you need something better than that. Your stinky shirt definitely isn't helping your chance with the ladies." Dot nodded to a group of giggling women next to them. Bugs coughed and rubbed the back of his neck when one of the women blew him a kiss. She grabbed his hand and dragged him over to the men's clothing. After a quick scan of the table, she picked up a pair of light blue jeans. She didn't realize how big they were until she unfolded them, and found that each leg was about the size of her.

"And I thought I lost weight..." he chuckled. "Alright, I'll get something. But I wouldn't be caught dead in those."

"You sound like such a diva." she rolled her eyes.

"I'm not a diva, Warner. I'm just have a certain taste in fashion." he said as he looked through the clothing. After several minutes of debating ("But the blue brings out your eyes!" "How? There's no color in them, doc."), they finally settled on his outfit.

"Let's go put this stuff on before I die of hunger," Bugs said and rubbed his stomach. _Definitely a diva_ , she thought. He took his pile of clothes and walked towards the men's bathroom. "I'll meet you right here when you're done," he said and pointed to where they were standing. "Stay put if I'm not out here. I don't need you running off again."

Dot nodded and walked into the women's room. A short line of humans and toons leaned against the wall. Dot stood at the end and waited for an open stall. After changing her clothes and going to the bathroom, she took off her gloves and washed them in a sink. Two little girls stared back at her when she looked in the mirror. She turned around and smiled at them.

"Are you Dot Warner?" one of them asked.

"Sure am! What's your names?" she said, causing wide grins to stretch across their faces.

"I'm Kimmy, and that's Tara. Can- can we have your autograph?" the taller girl asked.

"Sure. Do you have a pen and paper?"

A women behind them, who she presumed to be their mother, handed them a notepad and pen. Dot scribbled a simple "To Kimmy and Tara, nice meeting you- Dot Warner" and handed it back to them. The girls were practically jumping up and down when they read it.

"Where are your brothers? Are they here, too?" the smaller girl asked.

"Um, no. We got separated." she said.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find them. Thanks again!" The two girls and their mother left the bathroom. Dot dried off her gloves under the automatic hand-dryer. She liked meeting fans and had never minded being pointed out in public as "that girl on _Animaniacs_ ," but the way the two women behind her were whispering and laughing at her was getting on her nerves. She left right as they started to approach her and went up to Bugs, who was leaning against the wall next to a group of teenagers that smelled like skunk.

"I see you ran into some fans." he said, gesturing to Kimmy and Tara as they giggled over the piece of paper.

"Yeah. They were nice."

"I'm sure they were, but try to stay under the radar more. We don't need any extra attention. I'm surprised we haven't run into the paparazzi yet." Bugs said as they started walking.

"Well, there was just an earthquake."

"I know, but those people are like roaches. No matter what you do, you can't get rid of them."

A boy walked past them carrying a large bag of newspapers and shouting the latest news. Bugs sneaked up behind him and took a paper from his bag, leaving a dollar in it's place. Unfolding the paper, Bugs read the headline as they walked.

"Hundreds dead, thousands missing or injured," he continued reading the story below. "Death toll rising as emergency workers search through wreckage for survivors. Read one man's unbelievable account of the earthquake on page four..." Bugs trailed off and turned to the toon section of the paper. Similar headlines ran along the page and a large list of names ran along the bottom.

"Missing toons... Damion Durke, Franklin Frog, Tilly Yak... Porky Pig and Daffy Duck!" Bugs stopped. He scanned the rest of the list before putting the paper in his hammerspace. Looking slightly downtrodden, Bugs shoved his hands in his pocket.

"Were Yakko and Wakko on there?" Dot asked.

"No. Scratchansniff must have listed them as accounted for when they came to the shelter."

They turned past a group of rowdy boys and found Foghorn and Scratchansniff sitting on their cots. Bits of food spewed out of Foghorn's beak as he spoke, while Scratchansniff laughed and clutched his sides.

"And that's when I said, 'No, Mr. Plotz. I didn't set that pizza on fire.' His eyebrows- I say- his eyebrows didn't grow back for two months!" Foghorn laughed.

Dot sat down and picked up a bowl of noodles. Bugs took a plate of carrots and a variety of vegetables, and the two began eating as Foghorn and Scratchy's laughter died down.

"Boy, I haven't thought about that story in a while," Foghorn chuckled. "Brings back good memories."

"Which one are you talking about?" Bugs asked.

"The one where Tweety and me set Plotz's hair on fire. The poor fella's hair still hasn't fully grown back."

"Ehh... that is a good one. But I've got a better story." Bugs said.

"Is it that time you fell off a set and landed right on Jessica Rabbit's- ah, bosom? Because the way- I say- the way Roger beat you around was funnier than a barnyard full of monkeys!"

"Oh yeah, that was just hilarious, doc," Bugs rolled his eyes. "No. I was thinking of the time when me and Daff convinced Plotz that James Dean and Bette Davis went over to MGM. It was right after he got promoted back in the 50s, and the guy spent two days making phone calls and readjusting contracts before someone told him they didn't actually leave. The best part was that he somehow gave me and Daffy a raise when he was trying to get more money for Dean and Bette. I still haven't figured out how, but the raises stayed."

"You should have gotten me in on that." Foghorn mumbled.

"I tried, but you were too busy kissing his as- ah, butt- for a raise. You said you didn't want to 'jeopardize' your chances. If someone asked me, I'd say you were a bit chicken." Bugs smirked.

"Why you bucked tooth rodent!" Foghorn said as he punched Bugs's shoulder.

"Hey, I just call em' as I see em'. You're a chicken, just like Plotz is an idiot."

"Now Bugs, Mr. Plotz is not an idiot. He is just a bit gullible." Scratchansniff added.

"That's an understatement, Scratchy. He's fallen for a lot of stuff we did to him." Dot said.

"I don't even want to know what you three have done to him... I know first hand how, ah, inventive you little monkeys can be." Scratchansniff rubbed a hand across his forehead.

"Well, now I'm curious. But stuff from your show doesn't count." Bugs said.

"Fair enough," she said and put down her bowl. "So one time, me, Yakko, and Wakko told him that Mel Gibson would only do 'Braveheart' if there were 55 pounds of this special Italian cheese in his dressing room. But this cheese is illegal in North America, so we got him to send his annoying assistant Tony to Italy just to buy it. Tony flew over to Europe and bought the cheese, but had to pay an extra 100 dollars in luggage just to bring it back. Then the airline company found out what he needed the extra bags for and customs got involved. He got in a ton of trouble for having the cheese, and Plotz got caught up in this big international relations problem. It was hilarious! There were lawyers in his office for weeks!"

Dot smiled at the memory. Although the Warners rarely pulled pranks on studio employees, the pranks they did pull were extravagant and, in their opinion, justified. They only did it when someone deserved it. However, they did backfire every now and then.

She thought back to the first time they pranked Scratchy. It was the second day of shooting for _Animaniacs_ , and they wanted to leave a "surprise" on the psychiatrist's chair after he'd ratted them out to Plotz. They hadn't meant to break some of the set pieces while playing catch, but Scratchy had seen and told Plotz before they could apologize. Yakko was even prepared to pay for the damage, but never got the chance to offer during Plotz's loud lecture on irresponsibility.

So, after an afternoon of planning an appropriate "thank you" gift for the psychiatrist, her brothers assigned her to put the "surprise" on Scratchy's chair. But when she opened the door to his dressing room, she found Scratchy in the middle of changing. Even though his back was to her, Dot still wanted to throw up. She was no astrologist, but she knew a full moon when she saw one. The doctor- thankfully- never realized she was there.

"How did you convince him that Mel Gibson wanted that cheese?" Scratchansniff asked.

"Wakko can do a spot on impression of him, so he called up Plotz and demanded it," she said, and, looking at their skeptical expressions, continued. "Don't ask me why, he just can. It makes as much sense as his accent."

"Who's idea was this?" Foghorn asked.

"Mine, but Yakko came up with the Mel Gibson part." Dot grinned.

"An international relations problem... You my friend, are a genius. A tiny, cute genius." Bugs said, ruffling the fur on top of her head.

"Don't encourage her! The little monkeys will probably target me next!" Scratchansniff shrieked.

"Us? We would never dream of doing that to you, Scratchy!" Dot batted her eyes at him and he made an audible gulp.

"That's what I'm afraid of. You'll probably do something worse."

"Don't worry. I'm sure the little lady wouldn't hurt a hair on your head." Foghorn said.

"But I don't have any hair!" Scratchansniff exclaimed.

"My point exactly. Say, have you seen that boy with the newspapers around?" Foghorn asked.

"Yeah. I got a copy on the way back here. You can read it if you'd like." Bugs pulled the paper out of his hammerspace and tossed it to him.

Foghorn opened the newspaper and skimmed over the articles. Dot tried to listen to Bugs and Scratchansniff's conversation, but quickly grew bored. She was staring at a group of boys playing tag when she heard Foghorn start swearing.

"That low life cretin! Why, when I get my hands on him!" Foghorn yelled, throwing the paper down.

"What's wrong, doc?" Bugs said, turning away from the psychiatrist.

"Bosko and Oswald broke out of Clampett!"

The color drained from Bugs's face. He put down his tray and scooted to the edge of the cot.

"That's not good." Bugs gulped. Dot moved closer to him.

"What's not good?" she asked.

"Um, some bad guys broke out of jail, Dot. A few, eh, very bad guys." Scratchansniff responded nervously.

"They're gonna be dead- I say- dead guys if I have anything to do with it!" Foghorn yelled.

"Now calm down, doc. We'll figure this out." Bugs paused.

"Hello Nurse had the night shift at the hospital when the earthquake hit. It's in one of the least damaged areas, so I'm sure she's still there helping the patients. I was going to drive over there to help her and the doctors tend to the injured, so you three are welcome to come with me." Scratchansniff said.

"Thanks for the offer, but that's probably not the best place for us at the moment."

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Scratchansniff asked. Bugs looked down at Dot, then back at the psychiatrist.

"Actually, there is. Can you take Dot with you?" Bugs said.

"What?" she shouted. "Why can't I stay with you?"

"Because it's too dangerous. First we ran into Smokey and now Bosko's out there on the streets. I don't want to risk your safety anymore than I already have."

"Wait, Smokey saw you two?" Foghorn asked and Bugs nodded. "I thought he got locked up or something." he exclaimed.

"I guess not. But I hadn't seen him around for a while." Bugs said with his lips pulled tight.

"The little lady's gonna be in trouble- I say- in trouble no matter where she is. In fact, everyone in this room is. Everything is so topsy-turvy right now I don't know what's going on, and nothing's gonna get better until things start getting fixed and we can all go home."

"But we shouldn't just be sitting here!" Bugs jumped up.

"Boy, I'm gonna say this one more time to get it through your thick skull. Right now, everything's out of our hands and there's not much we can do about it, so it doesn't really matter where we are or who we're with." Foghorn said. Bugs slumped back onto the cot and placed his head in his hands.

"Am I really a problem?" Dot said softly. Bugs put an arm around her shoulders.

"No, you're not the problem at all, kid. Try not to worry, alright?"

"I won't." Dot said as Bugs pulled her in for a hug.

She was surprised to find that Bugs's hugs were almost as good as Yakko's. When was the last time she had gotten a hug? It must have been the night before the earthquake when Yakko tucked her in. But that felt so long ago now.

"Dr. Scratchansniff, Dot, is dat you?" a deep voice said behind her. Dot let go of Bugs and looked up at the large man and woman next to her. A smaller but equally plump boy stood in front of them.

"Hey Ralph!" she grinned.

"Hi Dot! Oh, hellos Bugs and Foghorn. I didn't knows you was here." Ralph said.

"We got here a few hours ago. I'm glad to see you're okay." Bugs said.

"Same to yous. Oh, this is my wife Karen," Ralph gestured to the woman beside him, who waved when he said her name. "and dats my son Tommy." The boy shyly nodded.

"Nice to meet you." Foghorn said.

"Say, did Yakko and Wakko bring the paper backs yet? I don't sees them." Ralph looked around the crowd.

"Bring the paper back? What do you mean?" Scratchansniff asked.

"Da, I rans into them the other night. They said they was going to gets the paper."

"Doc, the paper comes in the morning."

"Oh, then I guess theys weren't doing that..."

"Did you see where they went?" Dot asked, jumping up.

"They wents outside, but Is didn't see where they wents after that. Sorry."

"That's alright." Bugs said. Ralph strained his neck to look over the crowd.

"Ooh, they're bringing in more food. We gots to get going or else we'll miss it all. See yous guys later!" Ralph said as he and his family took off towards the table. For such large people, they sure could run fast. Dot figured food was their only motivator in this case.

"Why don't we start packing up? I want to leave with plenty of daylight to get to the hospital. I could drive you somewhere, if you'd like." Scratchansniff offered.

"We're fine, thank you. But we should get going soon, too. Are you going with him, Foghorn?" Bugs said.

"Nah, I'll go with you," Foghorn said as he cleared off his cot. "I can't leave you and the little miss alone out there."

"Are you sure you three don't want a ride. I believe there is a bus station near the hospital. We could drive there together and then you could go your own way. I would feel much better if you weren't on the streets around here."

"Well- alright. Do you two wanna go put the trays back while we get the cots?" Bugs said to Dot and Scratchansniff. They nodded and took the plates back to the table. After they were out of earshot, Foghorn leaned towards him.

"She's got you wrapped around her- I say- wrapped around her cute little finger, you know." he smirked as he picked up two of the cots. Bugs followed Foghorn's lead and grabbed the remaining cots.

"Shut up." Bugs said. He whacked Foghorn's tail feathers with the cots as they walked towards the gym entrance.

* * *

"You what?" Oswald exclaimed. Bosko scowled at Oswald before speaking to Smokey.

"How are you gonna do that? The city's pretty much in ruins."

"Exactly, this is the perfect opportunity to strike. Because the cops are so focused on findin' missing people and such, all the gangs and their leaders are walking around, you know, feelin' entitled to the place. My boys have already pinned down where Fat Tony and Rizzy's hideouts are, and they're close to findin' more."

"Whatcha thinking about doing once you find everyone's places?" Bosko asked, intrigued.

"I've made quite a few enemies over the years. Not to mention I have a few 'partners' who haven't found the time or funds to pay me back a few debts yet, so I intend on settling the scores."

"How so?" Oswald asked.

"Well, that's where you two come in. I have plenty of guys under my control, but I need toons with brains, toons like yourselves, to get my more important jobs done."

"We're in." Bosko said.

"Hold that thought, Bosk. What exactly would these jobs involve?" Oswald said, crossing his arms.

"I need you two to lead the raids I'm planning. I'm turnin' over the smaller raids to Tango, so I'm trustin' you with the bigger ones. I already told you I found Fat Tony's place, so you'll be headin' over there tomorrow to pay him a little visit. You remember him, right?"

"How could I not... The guy screwed me over on a liquor deal before I got caught." Bosko muttered. Tony had also tried to steal Sylvia from him, but perhaps in retrospect, he should have let him have her. The girl turned out to be both clingy and flighty; two qualities he hated in a woman.

"Is it still by the pier?" Bosko asked.

"No. One of Tony's boys ratted him out to the cops a couple of years back. They left a ton a ton of whiskey and other stuff behind when they had to leave quickly, so we went in and took a bunch of stuff after the cops left. They only took the whiskey, so we made a nice profit on everything else," Smokey said. "Now, they're over by fifth and Main. I guess they're livin' in some old train station."

"So that's it? We just have to sell out a few guys?" Oswald said. He shifted and shot Bosko an uncomfortable look.

"Not sell out. Finish off. The only way my plan can work is if every other potential leader is permanently out of the picture. You get what I'm sayin'?" Smokey said.

"Yeah, but what do we do with everyone else there? Are we takin' them out, too?" Bosko asked.

"And what about Gonzo? What's his role in all of this?" Oswald asked.

"I have him workin' on something else. And leave all of Tony's boys alone. I'll take care of them."

"What do you mean-" Bosko started as the office door swung open.

Several toons walked in. While most of them were rats that reeked of sewage, a tall, over-sized toon with black fur mingled among them. His multiple chins jiggled when he spoke and several large teeth stuck out of his mouth. A small grin pulled at Bosko's lips. Maybe he wasn't out of friends just yet.

"Oh yeah, Pete. The boss is gonna love that!" one of the rats said excitedly. His over-sized and torn cap bounced off of his head as he jumped up and down. He was about a foot shorter than everyone else in the room, and his face lacked the tired lines and hollowness evident in the other rats' features.

"Yeah, Pete! You just helped him out a lot- a real lot! Maybe he'll even give you a raise!" another rat said. His shirt was ripped and his pants were much too short for his awkwardly long legs. The rat towered over the others and looked like he was perpetually stuck in puberty. For once, Bosko didn't feel so self conscious about his short stature.

"Pete don't work for him, dumb ass." The largest rat said, knocking the tall thin one on the head. Unlike the other rats, he was muscular and intimidating. A pink scar ran across his face, running diagonally from his left eye to his cheek. A smaller rat emerged from behind him. His jaw was set in a firm, bitter line, and his eyes were hard and cold.

"Bosko, Oswald. This is Shorty, Mozes, Tango, and Fritz. They all work for me," Smokey said, pointing to the rats. "And this, of course, is Pete. I'm sure you're happy to see him, Bosko." Smokey said. Bosko moved in front of Pete and stuck out his hand. Pete shook it, his firm grip still familiar after 39 years.

"Well, look who's back. It's been a long time, Bosko." Pete chuckled.

"Sure has." Bosko grinned.

"Where'd he go?" Shorty asked, scratching his head through his cap.

"To jail stupid. Don't you listen ta anythin' the boss says?" Mozes whacked the smaller toon with a long arm.

"Just tell him the news, assholes." Fritz snarled.

"Pete got Rocky and Mugsy's warehouse! Weapons, food, cash- any type of supplies, really. Some of the guys are over there guarding it now." Shorty said.

"Where are Rocky and Mugsy now?" Smokey asked.

"We ran them out of there!" Mozes said, smiling. Smokey shot out of his seat.

"What? I told you to bring em' here!" he shouted.

"I know, but they were too fast. Their boys would have gotten the goods if we chased them." Shorty said.

"I don't care about crappy supplies- we have enough of that around here! I needed them!" Smokey's nostrils flared as he yelled. Breathing heavily, he slumped back down into his chair. "You three had better go find them, and don't come back until you do." he heaved and pointed to the door. Shorty, Fritz, and Mozes scurried out of the room, leaving Tango behind in their spot.

"Do you need me to help those idiots?" Tango asked.

"No. Why don't you go with Gonzo and Pete instead. I'm sure they have some things to go over." he gestured to Gonzo, who got up and walked out of the room. Pete and Tango followed him, leaving Smokey alone with Bosko and Oswald.

"Sorry about them. Those bozos can barely spell their own names, let alone handle a job," Smokey muttered. "So, are you two in? A favor for a favor?" he asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Of course." Bosko answered. Oswald glanced at the two toons before leaving the room.

"I'm sensing Oswald is a bit more... skeptical than I thought he'd be. Fix that, alright?" Smokey said. Bosko, slightly confused, looked out into the hallway.

"Don't worry, I will."


	7. Chapter 7

"Wakko, you've looked through that shelf three times already. Don't you think we can leave now?" Yakko said as he leaned against the door of a run down convenient store.

After almost 20 minutes of staring at the same pile of rubble, Yakko was ready to move on. They had been in Toontown's Cameron district for the past hour and hadn't found any trace of their sister. While it was not the most desirable district to live in, many of its buildings were new and engineered to withstand moderate earthquakes, allowing a few of the stores to stay open. They hadn't planned on spending this much time here, but Wakko had gotten a "munchies attack." To Yakko's relief, they stumbled upon this dingy convenient store before he had to hear too many complaints from his brother.

"Hold on. Hey, do you have five bucks?" Wakko called out. Yakko sighed and went inside.

"No, but I think Bambi's down the block if you want him." Yakko said, earning an annoyed look from his brother. He wasn't surprised when Wakko dropped a large pile of snacks on the counter in front of the cashier.

"Ehh... I think you'll need more than five dollars, Wak."

"Damn right he will." muttered the cashier, a lanky toon who appeared to be some sort of raccoon-wolf hybrid. His name tag read "Ricki," and was pinned to a grimy plaid shirt that hung limply against his thin frame.

He leaned against the cash register in an uninterested manner. Taking a long drag from his cigarette, the toon turned away from Yakko and Wakko and opened a sports magazine.

"Are you gonna get anything?" Wakko asked.

Yakko looked over his brother's selection. Kit Kats rested on top of Airheads, which sat next to Reese's Cups, Skittles, and Milky Way Bars. Three bags of Cheetos and two bottles of Dr. Pepper leaned against a dusty rack of sunglasses on the counter.

"Yeah, but you should probably get something else. I think you'll explode after eating that stuff."

"But it took me forever to pick it all out!" Wakko pouted.

"I figured," Yakko looked around the store. A display of beef jerky stood next to several barrels of bananas, oranges, and apples. Even though they looked a bit bruised and brown, they were still a better option than Wakko's sugar feast. "How bout' we get half of your stuff and some of that," he said said, pointing to the jerky and fruit.

"Fine." Wakko huffed and put the Skittles and Kit Kats back into their cardboard containers.

Although he had never had an appetite for bananas, Yakko still grabbed the least battered bunch he could find. Wakko tolerated them, and besides, now was probably the best time to try different foods. Who knew when their next meal would be. After collecting a few dozen apples and oranges, he picked up several bags of beef jerky and went back to the register.

"Wait, could you go get a gallon or two of water?" he asked Wakko. Their game of "reach into your hammerspace and fish out as many forgotten-half-drunk-water bottles as you can" was becoming more challenging.

Wakko huffed and moved towards the rickety refrigerators on the back wall. He lugged back two gallons of water and slumped them down on the counter. The cashier sluggishly rang each item up and put them into thin plastic bags.

"That'll be $28.50." he said. Yakko pulled out his wallet and opened the largest pocket. He frowned when he only saw ten dollars and thirteen cents.

"Ehh... do you take credit?" he asked nervously.

The cashier pointed to a sign above him. _Cash or Credit._

"Right- well, here you go." Yakko handed him the red card the studio had given him to use in case of an emergency. The cashier swiped it and handed it back to him. But just as it reached Yakko's fingertips, the toon's jaw dropped.

"Wait, you're Yakko Warner?"

"Yes..." Yakko said hesitantly as he put the card back into his wallet and placed the bags of food in his hammerspace.

"And you're Wakko?" he pointed to the younger Warner brother.

"Yeah, he is... Listen, it's been nice meeting you and all, but we've really gotta go." Yakko nodded and hurriedly pushed Wakko through the door.

"Wait, get back here!"

Yakko grabbed Wakko's arm and took off down the street. He sped up, trying to shake off the surprisingly fast cashier. As they turned the corner, they ran through a group of toons and managed to knock into a woman with blonde fur. She fell down with a thud as he and Wakko stumbled forward. Brushing off her jeans, the woman stood up and swore.

"Sorry!" Wakko called out. Her eyes widened when she looked up at them. She picked up her bag and ran down a side street.

"C'mon, Wak. Go faster!" Yakko yelled as the cashier moved closer. They ran down Plympton Boulevard. Yakko heard the toon yell something, but was running too fast to understand him.

Why was this guy so interested in them? Sure, they had some obsessed fans. A few teenage girls had stalked him last summer, but none of them shared the crazed look that glowed in this guy's eyes. The cashier definitely didn't act like their fans normally did. Maybe his card was denied? Yakko never really was sure how those things worked...

He was pulled out of his thoughts when they turned another corner. A pair of gloved hands had reached out and grabbed them, pulling them into a dark ally and throwing them behind two barrels. Yakko could hear the cashier run by as he struggled against a furry body.

"What's the big idea-" Yakko said before a hand clamped over his mouth.

"Shhh!" They waited in silence until the cashier's pounding footsteps could no longer be heard. The hand unclamped his mouth and he staggered backwards, pushing Wakko safely behind him.

"What's going on?" Wakko demanded.

"Hold on a sec, kid." a female voice said.

Yakko could barely make out the figure through the darkness, but managed to see her pull out a light from her hammerspace. She flicked it on, illuminating the ally. The light shimmered off of her short blonde fur and glimmered in her large black eyes. Short, thin ears were pulled back by a green scrunchie, and a long tail swished around her legs. But her most prominent feature was her large, glossy red nose.

"That's better. Now what are you doing around these parts? It's not safe here."

"We were looking for our sister. Why isn't it safe here?" Wakko said.

"Wakko!" Yakko nudged him. Hadn't he gotten "stranger danger" through his little brother's head already?

"It's alright, I'm not some bad guy. He can answer my questions." she said.

"Well, not until you at least tell us your name. You could be a notorious murderer for all we know." Yakko huffed with a false tone of seriousness.

He stood up to face the woman, who really didn't seem to be a threat. Between her faded purple sweater and dirty white sneakers, she seemed like any other Cameron resident.

"Fair enough. I'm Heather."

Yakko stared at her. The nose, the eyes... everything matched up. Even though her face was rounder, she had blonde fur, and a short set of whiskers flaired out of her cheeks, the woman looked just like a Warner.

"I'm probably taking a shot in the dark with this, but are you related to a Warner by any chance?" Yakko asked.

"Yeah, you could say that," she said with a small smirk. A loud clang came from the street. "C'mon, we can finish this conversation back at my place." she said and took off down the ally.

They turned onto the street adjacent to Plympton Boulevard and continued running. After reaching a four way intersection, Heather led them into a large brick building. They made their way up several flights of creaky stairs before stopping in front of a gray door. She unlocked it and motioned for them to come inside.

The scent of cinnamon met their noses. Several shag carpets covered the white linoleum and two brown couches sat in the middle of the room. A small television with an antenna faced the furniture, while a table and chairs were placed in front of a large window. The tan curtains were a bit worn, and a few stains could be found on the white walls. A small kitchen was in the corner of the room and several doors were next to it.

"Home sweet home," Heather muttered, throwing her keys on a small table. She sat down on one of the couches while Yakko and Wakko stood in the doorway. "You can come in, you know. I wouldn't be a very good cousin if I made you two sit out there all day."

"So you are related to us?" Wakko asked.

"Yeah. My mom's Daphne Martins, so your dad's my uncle," she fluffed the pillow behind her. "Now that introductions have been made, won't you please sit down?" she smiled.

"I guess you're not that much of a stranger then." Yakko stopped and took a hesitant glance around the room. Wakko nudged him.

"If she was going to kill us, she probably would have done it already," Wakko whispered to him. "Staying for a little bit won't hurt us."

"Have you listened to anything I've ever told you about stranger danger? Just because a nice looking lady offers you candy does not mean she's actually a good person!" Yakko hissed back. Wakko raised an eyebrow at this.

"But she didn't offer us candy, Yakko."

"That's not the point! I meant-"

"I'm not some creepy perv or a serial killer, if that's what you're wondering," Heather chuckled. "And yes, I know that sounds like something a real pervert or murderer would say, but I swear on everything I've ever valued or held dear that I'm not some nut job."

"And if you don't hold anything dear or have values? " Yakko asked.

"Then you have every right to run your little legs outta here. But I do value family- well, the little taste of it I've ever gotten- and believe you shouldn't let them hang out to dry."

Yakko opened his mouth but she put up a hand to shush him.

"Don't get your tail in a twist, kid. I get what you mean. You're smart to be weary of a stranger who dragged you off the streets, and that's refreshing to see after all the dumb kids I see nowadays. They believe anything anyone tells them," she sighed and pointed to the living room. "Come sit down and I'll explain who I am a little better."

With a quick look back at Wakko, Yakko nodded his head and nudged his brother towards one of the couches. After a few moments of awkward silence, Heather spoke up again.

"So, I see you two were running from Ricki." she said causally.

"Who?" Wakko asked.

"Ricki, the cashier down at that convenient store. Do you guys get chased like that often?" she chuckled.

"We get chased more than the Mystery Gang..." Yakko sighed. "Why?"

"It just looked like you've done it before. I've never seen kids your age toonspeed that fast before. Poor Ricki could barely keep up with you."

"Well, we do get a lot of practice on set." Wakko said.

"Yeah. The whole 'Just for fun we run around the Warner movie lot' gag keeps us in great shape." Yakko added.

"I'd bet," Heather chuckled. "Hey, you said something about your sister earlier. Where is she?"

"We don't know. We lost her in the earthquake about a week ago. The newspaper said that Cameron district didn't get hit too badly, so we figured she might have gone here since it's near the lot." Yakko said. He noticed Wakko slump his shoulders.

"I'm sorry, I'll keep my eyes out for her. But you really shouldn't have come out here. Smokey's gang has been crawling all over the place. I don't know what's gotten them so restless lately." Heather said.

"Who's Smokey?" Yakko asked.

"He basically runs the streets. His guys are usually out in worse districts, but they've been out here a lot since the quake. Ricki must have been on watch in that store or something. The guy hasn't been home in years."

"Do you know him?" Wakko asked.

"Sure I know him, but I don't think I should be telling you kids all this stuff. You have bigger things to worry about." she sighed, getting up and moving towards the kitchen. Yakko shared a look with Wakko. If anyone knew how to get information out of someone, it was definitely the Warner brothers.

"Bigger things to worry about? I think a crazy guy chasing us is a pretty big thing to worry about." Yakko called out to her. She came back with three glasses of water and set them down on the coffee table.

"Yeah. First we lose our sister and now this. Things are getting pretty rough, aren't they Yakko?" Wakko pouted. He sighed dramatically and wiped away a tear.

"They sure are, my dear little sibling. Maybe we could fix everything if we knew what was going on." Yakko added, forcing out his own pool of tears and pulling Wakko against him.

"Oh my God... fine. I'll tell you if you'll stop doing whatever that bad improv was," she paused. "But you're not going to like what I have to say." Heather sighed, rubbing her temples. Yakko and Wakko immediately perked up. Any trace of tears or sadness on their faces disappeared.

"That's alright, it might help us." Yakko said. Heather took a sip of her water before going on.

"Well, I threw away three years of my life on Ricki. We were living together and everything was great, but one day he turned bad on me and joined Smokey," she gulped down another sip. "He was always going on about how he hated his 'dead-end job' and 'dead-ass friends,' but I never thought he was that upset about it. Life here ain't great, but it could be worse. I guess he didn't see it that way. Thought Smokey could help him get a better life."

"Is that why he chased us? Because he was with this Smokey guy?" Yakko asked.

"Maybe. I don't know. Smokey's gang doesn't go after anyone without a reason. But I'm tellin' you two to be careful around them. If Smokey figures out you're Warners, things might get messy." she said, pushing a pillow under her back.

"What do you mean? It's already pretty obvious that we're Warners. We're on TV every week." Wakko said.

"Yeah, but Ricki didn't know it was us until I gave him my credit card." Yakko said, leaning his chin on his hand.

"How could he not tell it was us?" Wakko asked.

"Because you're covered in crap, kid. Not to mention your sister isn't here. People usually group you three together. You're like a package deal," Heather said. Yakko looked down. A thick layer of dirt and grime covered his body and clothing, leaving his fur looking more brown than black. Wakko looked the same. "Even I had to do a double take. And no wonder Ricki didn't notice until he saw your name. The toon's an idiot." she grumbled.

"Alright, but why shouldn't Smoky know who we are?" Yakko asked. Heather picked at her watch and stayed quiet for a moment.

"Do you know how your Grandpa Herman died?"

"No. All we know is that it was something tragic." Yakko answered. Heather bit down on her lower lip.

"It was. Herman started out in show business back in the early 30's. He appeared in some shorts, but nothing too big. In fact, that's how he met Grandma Dorothy. She was a dancer in one of his shorts."

"What does that have to do with how he died?" Wakko said.

"Everything, actually. Herman signed on with Warner Brothers to do a series of cartoons with another toon named Kenny in the early 40s. It was called 'Kenny's Korner,' and would play before some of the newsreels at the movies. They worked together for about a year or so before the studio cancelled the cartoon. But instead of letting Kenny go all together, they signed him on for another show."

"So Herman was out of a job?" Yakko asked.

"Sort of... Shortly after the show ended, the studio made up a new contract for Kenny. But one of the legal assistants at Warner Brothers somehow messed up the paperwork and put Herman's name and address on the contract. So Herman got it and signed it. He figured the studio had changed their mind and wanted him to take on the new show. They got the contract back and ended up accidentally hiring Herman instead of Kenny."

"Couldn't they just rip up the contract or something?" Wakko asked.

"No. Cartoons were still pretty new then. They didn't have the all the legal systems and stuff they do today. Though this was a pretty bizarre thing to happen," Heather shrugged.

Yakko knew that cartoons were initially a confusing venture for studios, but messing up a contract like that just seemed like pure carelessness. He didn't put it past Warner Brothers, though. The toon division of the studio's payroll had messed up their checks at least every few months, and any studio who would hire schmucks like Plotz- and, dare he say, the mime- were bound for bouts of screw ups.

"What happened?" Wakko asked, shifting his position.

"Herman didn't want to give up the role. He was having trouble finding work and had young kids to feed. But before they could negotiate anything, the studio found out Kenny had developed a gambling problem. He spiraled out of control. You know, like something snapped inside of him.

"Turns out he was involved in a big robbery. He was let go on lack of evidence, but his reputation in the business was ruined. The studio didn't want anything else to do with him, and they officially hired Herman in his place," she paused and took a sip from her glass. "It changed Kenny. His gambling became worse and he was out on the streets within a month of losing his job. The only thing that saved him was that he joined a gang."

"This is fascinating and all, but what does this have to do with Smokey?" Yakko asked.

"You see, Kenny is Smokey."

"What?" Yakko and Wakko said in unison. They rolled their eyes and looked back at their grinning cousin.

"Cute." she chuckled.

"Please, just finish the story." Wakko said with a sigh.

"Okay, okay. So anyway, Kenny changed his name to Smokey when he got involved in the street life. He didn't want to be associated with his goofy character from 'Kenny's Korner,' since his on-screen personality was a little too kid friendly for the streets." she took another sip of water before continuing.

"This is where things got pretty messed up. Right before your dad was born, Herman and Dorothy went out to eat at some dive in Toontown. Dorothy said three toons jumped them when they were walking home and took off down the street with Herman. Dorothy was too close to her due date to chase after them so she called for help,"

"The cops sent out a search party and found his body under a bridge the next day. They said that he was hardly recognizable; that whoever killed him really did a job on him," Heather cleared her throat. "Dorothy said one of the toons who took him was a rat, and every other eyewitness agreed."

"Oh." Wakko muttered.

Yakko had been too engrossed in the story to think about his brother's reaction. Hearing someone died like that was heavy for anyone, especially a kid at his age. Maybe he should have sent him in another room or something... it was probably too much for him to hear that his grandfather had such a gruesome death. Hell, it felt a little too much for him, too.

"You alright, Wak?" Yakko asked as he put an arm around his little sib.

"That's messed up. He killed someone just because he didn't get a part in some show?" Wakko said quietly.

"It's not that simple, kid. A lot of twisted stuff happened back then. There was a lot of corruption, and Smokey wasn't the only toon to turn bad in showbiz. I mean, look at Bosko. He went off the deep end when Bugs Bunny got to Warner Brothers. Even Oswald was arrested after that whole 'missing Mickey' fiasco." Heather explained.

"I remember reading about that in class..." Yakko stared at the wall past his cousin.

He remembered being really upset when he learned about Bugs's almost murder. Although it had happened many years before he was even born, the thought of stars attacking other stars really unnerved him. What if one of their costars turned on him and and his sibs? It seemed unlikely, since he could honestly say that he trusted many of them with his life, but the possibility was always there.

Pinky was much more intelligent than the show led him on to be and Yakko quickly had befriended him. Brain's seemingly cynical demeanor originally caused Yakko to be a bit skeptical of the mouse, however, he turned out to be a trustworthy and thoughtful friend. He respected Yakko and became a good confidant for Wakko and Dot. Slappy's dry and sarcastic humor immediately intrigued Yakko. He had never met a toon like her, and they would often have long and interesting conversations, to say the least, and Dot and Skippy were inseparable when the two squirrels were on set.

Even Scratchy proved to be an invaluable friend. Although he found the Goodfeathers to be annoying and the mime to be, well, disgustingly mimey, he could never imagine any of them trying to hurt the Warners over fame. To think that his sibs' lives could be at risk over _Animaniacs_ or another future show made his blood curdle.

"Why do you care about all of this when you're not even his granddaughter?" Wakko asked, bringing Yakko back into the conversation.

"I was actually pretty close to your dad before he died. Uncle James told me a lot of this when I was about your age, Yakko."

"What? You knew Dad?" Wakko leaned forward on the edge of the couch. Yakko, who had no memory of ever meeting his cousin, was equally as shocked.

"Yeah. We were pretty close actually. After my mom was shipped off to Clampett, I was sent to live with Aunt Cece until she died and he used to come over a few times a week. You were only three, so I doubt you'd remember me. I moved to Boston to live with one of Grandma Dorothy's sisters after that. I wanted to stay with you guys and Uncle James, but they all thought I would behave better away from here. Your dad would call me every week or so. He was the closest thing to a father I had. I'm guessing he never talked about me, right?" she said, crossing her arms. Wakko looked up at his older brother.

"No. Sorry." Yakko said. Heather leaned back and snorted.

"That's what I figured."

"Huh?" Wakko raised an eyebrow.

"It's complicated."

"Well, we're all ears." Yakko pointed to his perked up ears.

"It's just... your dad was very complex guy. He loved his family and all, but he had a tendency to hide away anything 'embarrassing' in his life. It doesn't look good when an actor has such a dysfunctional family like his. Between having a murdered father and niece, convict sister and nephew, a junkie brother, and a bastard niece like me, I guess he had a lot to cover up. I never liked it, but it came with being a D-list cartoon. Sob stories only work with superstars in Hollywood." Heather muttered.

"Wait, a junkie uncle?" Yakko asked.

"Yeah, Uncle Clarke. He was a major flitz addict. Grandma Dorothy, Uncle James, and Aunt Cece tried to help him, but nothing worked and he overdosed and died."

"Flitz?" Wakko asked.

Yakko hadn't had the drug talk with Wakko yet. He figured he was too young, but hearing that addiction ran in the family concerned him. Maybe he should talk to him about it sometime soon...

"It's a really, really bad drug, and you can really only get it if you have money. Clarke almost wiped out Grandma Dorothy's accounts buying it. Apparently the entire situation was really bad." Heather said.

"Sounds like it." Yakko replied. An uncomfortable moment of silence filled the air before Heather spoke up.

"Sorry this was so doom and gloom. I should be a cheerier hostess than this," she got up and moved to the kitchen once more. "I'll make us some dinner. Does leftover meatloaf sound alright? I haven't been able to get to the store." she asked. Wakko frowned and made a small gag noise. Remembering the candy in Yakko's hammerspace, he immediately perked up and turned to his brother.

"Wait, Yakko. What about the Kit Kats-"

"Yes, thank you." Yakko interrupted Wakko and elbowed him.

He looked around the room at the few framed photos on the wall and tables. One was of Heather smiling next to a human toon, who, Yakko noticed, was wearing a pleasingly low cut shirt. A fox toon in similar apparel was on Heather's other side. _Her friends aren't too shabby,_ he thought.

He turned his attention to another picture of Heather with a woman on some sort of western set. It was signed "Great season and good luck! -Kiki." They were wearing a sparkly red leotards and enormous feathery headpieces. He picked it up and walked into the kitchen.

"Hey, I didn't know they made a crown out of Toucan Sam."

"Funny. No, I was a dancer on a show last year, but the series ended up getting cut after six episodes. I met that girl when I moved back out here a few years ago."

"She's cute." he grinned.

"She's twice your age."

"Age is just a number." Yakko hopped up onto the counter.

"Not when your still under the age of consent." Heather said.

"Fine, no funny business then. But can I still meet her?" he batted his eyes.

"In your dreams, kid. Hey, can you grab the plates? The timer's gonna go off in a second." she pointed to the cabinet next to the fridge. He got down and opened it and took out three green plates.

"The silverware is in the draw above that. I'll grab the glasses." Heather said.

Three short beeps rang out and Heather opened the stove door. She took out the meatloaf as Yakko placed the plates and silverware onto the table. Heather came in with the food in one hand and the glasses in the other. She went into the kitchen again and came back with a jug of water.

"Wakko, come on." Yakko called to his brother.

Wakko trudged to the table and sat down across from Heather, who put a large slice of meat on his plate. Wakko poked it with his fork and glared at it. Yakko rolled his eyes and took a bite of the meatloaf. While it was a bit runny (from what, he didn't know), he could at least force it down and be polite. They hadn't had a real meal since the shelter and Yakko wasn't about to go back to scraping crumbs out of his hammerspace because of his brother's picky palette.

"You know, Wakko, there's some ice cream in the fridge. We can have some after you finish you meatloaf." Heather said. Wakko looked at her and started shoveling food into his mouth. Yakko shot his cousin a grateful smile and took a sip of water.

She just might fit into their little family after all.

* * *

Four. Hours.

Dot had never minded long car rides before. In fact, she rather liked staring out at a blurred world through the car window. But this was absolutely unbearable. Every road was blocked and there were too many detours to count.

On top of that, looters had tried to steel their hubcaps. Twice. If Foghorn and Bugs hadn't gotten out of the car with mallets ("You step away from this vehicle or I'm gonna pound your slimy- I say- slimy little brains out, boy!"), then Scratchy would have needed to go back to the car dealer only a month after buying his new station wagon.

They had also run out of gas and had to stop to refuel with Scratchy's emergency gas can. This had only started an argument between Bugs and the psychiatrist ("Why would you keep gas in the trunk, doc? It could've blown up with all the fire's around here!" "Well, it's useful in an emergency like this!").

On top of all of that, Foghorn took up the majority of the back seat. She liked the rooster, she really did, but she could do without the enormous tail feathers hitting her in the face every other second. She was basically plastered to the door at this point. If Dot were to move any closer to him, she would be met with a face full of unhappy poultry. He was still riled up about the looters and potential car explosion, so she was being careful not to annoy him any further.

While it had been nice to leave the shelter, she was beyond done with this. They had just made it over the Burbank/Toontown line and were nearing the Toontown hospital Hello Nurse worked at.

While there had been some debate as to where Scratchy would drop them off, they had decided that the group would split up at the hospital. Not only did it have supplies they could take, but it was located in a district that hadn't been too badly damaged. Dot was just relieved to be almost there. The roads here were smoother and fewer undesirable characters were roaming around, making the drive much easier than it had been initially.

"Is that the turn up there?" Scratchansniff squinted and pointed at a green sign.

"Well, it does say 'hospital' on it." Bugs grumbled. He had been done with their "road trip" since Scracthanscniff pulled out of the high school parking lot.

They turned down the street and drove up to a large white building. Toons milled around the front entrance as several ambulances shot out of the parking garage. Scratchansniff pulled into the garage and cruised slowly through the rows of cars. It looked as though every space was taken.

"Pull in there, doc!" Bugs said quickly, pointing to an empty space in the corner. Another car was close enough to them that Dot could see the driver greedily eyeing the space. She held onto the seat as Scratchy slammed his foot down on the gas pedal. He sped towards the space and very narrowly pulled in between a red truck and blue Toyota. She let out a breath when he turned off the car.

"There. That wasn't too bad, ja?" Scratchansniff said, earning a glare from the three toons around him and a medley of horns and swears from the driver he had just beat.

Dot sighed and got out of the car. She followed the others to the elevator took a deep breath when Foghorn pushed the down button.

Hopefully this would all be over soon.


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you to those who have reviewed! I got some really great feedback that has helped me out a ton! :)**

* * *

"Go fish." Dot said with a yawn. Bugs scowled and picked up a card from the pile on the floor between them.

They had started their first game of Gold Fish an hour and a half ago. Scratchansniff had left to get them three bus tickets and find Hello Nurse about an hour or so before that, and they had been sitting in the hospital's crowded lobby since.

The adults had agreed that they should get out of Toontown and go where there was less damage. However, Foghorn and Bugs had yet to decide where to go. Bugs wanted to go to Calabasas ("I have plenty of friends there we can stay with, doc-") and Foghorn wanted to go to San Francisco ("My poker buddy there has a place that- I say- that could outlast two Armageddons better than your fine friends' fancy doll houses could make it through a rain shower-"). The chance of seeing daylight again was becoming less of a possibility and more like a far off dream at this point. Dot would be lucky to make it another hand without jamming her head in the elevator door.

Bugs had found an old pack of cards at the bottom of his hammerspace, and they were currently on their 18th round of the "blasted game," as Foghorn called it. Dot thought the car ride was bad, but this was much worse. At least then she could look out the window and lose her thoughts in the urban landscape. Now she was cooped up in an overcrowded room with an irritable rooster and grumpy rabbit, stuck staring at the same white walls and headache inducing people.

"Do ya have a six?" Foghorn asked in a melancholy tone.

"Go fish, doc."

"Do you have a two?" Dot asked, groggily. It was the last card in her hand and she prayed that Foghorn had it. Not because she wanted to win, but because she was dying for this game to be over.

"Here, little lady. Now, put that damned deck away before I rip it up. You would think I could win at least one game..." Foghorn muttered and crossed his arms. Bugs rolled his eyes and collected the cards, tucking them back into their worn package.

Dot leaned back against the wall. She was careful to avoid the woman sitting next to her. Even though they had found a semi-secluded corner of the room, several fans still managed to approach them and hound them for autographs; the woman being one of them. They only went away after Bugs testily grabbed their tattered notepads and papers and scribbled down his, Foghorn, and Dot's names with a muttered "hungry animals" sent their way.

She felt the woman bump into her when she got up and looked up to receive an annoyed look from her as she hobbled away through the crowd. Dot let out a small huff and spread her limbs out in the newly vacated spot.

"That's what you get for dozing off through half of them, doc," Bugs muttered, putting the cards back into his hammerspace. He leaned back next to Dot and sent a glare towards a group of toons across from them. They were giggling and gesturing to the trio, and Bugs looked like he was about to march over there and blow the grins off their faces with a stick of dynamite or two. "Don't they know it's rude to point..."

"Apparently not. I can go let them know, if you want." Dot replied and sat up. She was pretty annoyed with them at this point, too. She could easily deal with the excessive giggling, but the comment made about her "bow being too small for that big head of hers" just about set her off.

"You stay right there, kid. I already have a crazy doctor that's MIA and a moody rooster to deal with. I don't want to have to pull a six year old out of a cat fight, too."

"I'm not a cat..." Dot huffed.

"You know what I mean, doc," Bugs said. Their ears simultaneously perked up when Foghorn's booming voice rang through the air.

"You low-life coward! Boy- I say- boy, you'd better give me back that sandwich!" Foghorn shot up and started running after a rough looking man clutching a ham and cheese sandwich in his grubby hand. Dot didn't know where he got it in the first place, but she wasn't going to question it.

"Dammit, Foghorn!" Bugs yelled after him as he reluctantly got up. "Stay here." he shot over his shoulder to her as he trailed after Foghorn.

Dot rolled her eyes and watched as he attempted to take down the enormous rooster. He tried to jump on his back but missed and flung to the ground. He sprung up and continued to chase him across the room, leaving a trail of obscene words in his wake.

Her grin faded when a large figure sat down next to her. Great, the woman was back. She was surprised when she felt a hand on her shoulder. _Doesn't this lady understand the premise of a personal bubble?_ Dot turned around to give her a refresher lesson of personal space, but closed her mouth when she found a yellow toothed, dirty toon smiling at her instead.

"Hey honey, you're looking awful lonesome." he scooted closer.

Every stranger danger flag Yakko had drilled into her head immediately flew up. She sprung up from the floor and reached into her hammerspace for her mallet. Sure, it was hard to hold the heavy chunk of wood with one hand, but she did her best to appear stable under its weight.

"Nope. I'm just fine, thanks." she said, relieved that her voice came out strong and smooth as opposed to the quiver that poked at the back of her throat.

"Cute mallet there, girly. But it looks awfully heavy for those dainty little arms of yours. Here, let me just take that for ya-"

WHACK.

Dot used every ounce of strength in her arm to swing the mallet into his face. She was beyond relived when she heard a resounding crack as the mallet made contact with his cheek and sent him flying backwards. A small grin crept onto her face as he howled in pain. He glared at her as she wound up for another swing.

"I guess we'll do this the hard way-" he grumbled, rubbing his cheek and lunging at her. Dot was just about take another swing when a gray blur pinned the man up against the wall.

"Take one step closer to that kid and I swear to God it'll be the last thing you do." an enraged Bugs growled. Foghorn's large hand clamped down on her shoulder and pulled her away.

The man quivered as Bugs tightened his already deadly grip on his shoulders. He quickly nodded his head and Bugs threw him to the ground. Scrambling to get up, the man took one last look at Bugs and ran away. Bugs, who was still seething, turned to Dot.

"Did he hurt you? Touch you? Anything?" he demanded. Dot quickly shook her head.

"No, I got him with my mallet." she said.

"A darn good swing, too. You did some damage on that fella." Foghorn said, patting her shoulder.

Bugs clenched his fists and slowed his ragged breathing. Dot put the mallet back into her hammerspace and moved away from Foghorn. She took the rabbit's hand. Although small waves of anger still radiated off of him, he softened his expression.

"I'm glad you're alright- dammit, I shouldn't have left you here alone," Bugs shook his head. "What if you didn't have a mallet and he-"

"It doesn't matter what he might have done. I had one and I took care of him. Everything's alright now." Dot assured him.

"His face ain't alright. That- I say- that is gonna hurt in the morning. Haven't seen a swing like that since little old Bugs here was lord knows how young. And you did it with one hand! That was mighty fine." Foghorn chuckled. Dot grinned and moved a hand behind her back. She stretched the fingers on her mallet hand, trying to relieve some of the tenseness in them. The weight of the mallet left her arm stiff and heavy, but they didn't need to know that.

"Yeah... just stay close, alright? I'm sure he isn't the only creep around here." Bugs sighed. Dot glanced around the room until her gaze landed on Foghorn.

"Wait, did you get your sandwich back?" she asked. She really hoped he had, as she found that the normally energetic and boisterous rooster was not fun to be around when he was hungry.

"Nah, the boy slipped away," he huffed. "But I got something better. He had- I say- he had an entire pack of Oreos in his other hand. He dropped them when he was going through the door and runnin' his mouth," his features lit up when he pulled a crumpled blue plastic package from behind his back. "It's like taking cookies from a baby, I reckon." he chuckled.

"They're second hand- no, probably third hand, stale cookies packaged in cheap plastic," Bugs stated dryly. "You shouldn't be proud of that, doc,"

"Well I am, darn it. No one takes away my food. You know, at least not without facing the consequences." Foghorn huffed, stuffing several cookies in his beak. He stuck out a cookie to Dot.

"I wouldn't, if I were you." Bugs muttered to her.

"What? These things ain't poison!" Foghorn argued.

"How do you know? You can't just pick them off of some weirdo and expect them to be perfect. Just look at that goopy stuff in the back of the package." Dot said and pointed to the cookies. Foghorn pulled back the cover further to reveal a large green glob.

"Huh. The girl's right." he frowned and dumped the cookies in a potted fern next to him. The door opened and another wave of toons entered the room.

"Isn't this a fire hazard..." Bugs muttered as they were pushed towards the wall. The gurgle of conversation surrounding them grew increasingly louder. Dot was able to make out some of what toons were saying, but she could only catch a few bits and pieces of several conversations.

"Ma'am, you dropped your jacket-"

"Where's the food? I thought that nurse said it was in here-"

"Hey! Watch where you're going, jackass-"

"I t-t-think S-Scratchansniff said they were in here. Do you see t-them?"

Dot turned around and tried to look over the crowed. She moved forward, pulling Bugs with her.

"Whatcha doing, doc?" Bugs said as he was dragged through a sea of bodies with Foghorn close behind him.

"I think I heard Porky!" Dot called over the noise.

"What? Where?" Bugs asked. He tripped over a bag and almost sent them tumbling towards the ground, yet Dot managed to keep her balance and continued moving.

"Up ahead, I think."

"Wait, the little lady's right! I see em'!" Foghorn shouted. He grabbed Bugs by the arm and picked up Dot. The rooster started running and was practically dragging Bugs behind him as they approached three toons. Dot could make out Scratchy's bald head, a mass of black feathers, and a pasty pink pig.

"Porky! Daffy!" Bugs called out. The three toons turned around as they rushed towards them. Foghorn let go of Bugs and set Dot back onto the ground. Scratchansniff stepped back as the four costars embraced.

"How'd ya get here? We thought you guys were goners!" Daffy said.

"I got off the lot with Dot-" he gestured to Dot, who gave a small wave. "-and we met Foghorn and Scratchansniff at a shelter. We came here after. What about you two? I saw your names in the 'Missing' section in the paper. You had us worried." Bugs said.

"You w-wouldn't believe the t-t-time we've had." Porky said wearily.

"We were over in a hotel in North Hollywood when the earthquake happened. You know, just doing some promo stuff there," Daffy started. "We got out just as the whole thing came down. I mean, it was the only building on the block that completely fell over! Just my luck right? It was just like that weekend in Vegas back in-"

"Boy, bring your mind back over here and tell us what happened next." Foghorn interrupted.

"Right, right. Then we were walking, you know, slowly for Porky's little legs, and-"

"E-E-Excuse me?" Porky said. Daffy waved him off and continued talking. Dot had to dodge the mounds of spittle shooting out of his beak as he spoke several miles a minute.

"-and we ran into these thugs. They chased us across town! I couldn't tell you why. We were just walking and BAM! They started yelling and came after us."

"Why?" Bugs asked.

"We don't know. I don't think we did anything to tick em' off. But it took us forever to shake them off," Daffy started. "We had to hide in a dumpster for a whole day before they left! We snuck onto a bus and came up here after. Did you know that-"

"Backtrack for a minute, Daff. What did they look like?" Bugs said.

"I couldn't really tell. They had a lot of clothes on."

"I t-think I saw some tails. A-and they w-w-were furry, too. I thought they looked sorta like m-mi-rodents." Porky added. Bugs shared a look with Foghorn.

"Ehh- did you see that Bosko broke out out of Clampett?" Bugs asked. Daffy's beak fell open and Porky began to nervously wring his hands.

"What? No! We haven't seen any news all week!" the duck screeched. "I'm too young to die, Bugs! I'm too young to die!" Daffy grabbed Bugs by the jacket and fell to the ground.

Dot stared at the two toons. She still didn't know who this Bosko guy was and it was starting to worry her. She watched as Bugs shoved the frantic duck off of him.

"Get a grip, doc! He's not here right now so you don't need to panic. You'll freak us all out if you keep going on like this." Bugs nodded his head towards Dot. Daffy looked between her and the rabbit and straightened up.

"Oh, right. Sorry." he muttered.

"H-h-have you seen him a-around?" Porky stammered.

"No. We just read about the escape in the paper. Did anyone else follow you here?" Bugs said.

"I don't think so, but we should probably leave this place soon. I don't want to stick around here much longer," Daffy shuddered as a man in dirty clothes walked by. Dot had to hold back the urge to plug her nose. "Besides, it reeks."

"Then it was a good thing I got these bus tickets when I did. They only had a few left when I got through the crowd to the front desk," Scratchansniff said, pulling three slips of paper out of his coat pocket. "That's where I found these two, in fact. They said you could use them to get on any bus at the station down the street."

"Now, that's good and all, but I'm not leaving without you two." Foghorn said, gesturing to Daffy and Porky.

"D-don't worry Foghorn. We already h-have our t-tickets." Porky said.

"It took battling a few apes to get them," Daffy puffed up his chest, causing Bugs to shake his head. "We wouldn't have them if I hadn't stepped in to help Porky here. My fit physic got rid of them fast." he boasted.

"Ahh... D-Daffy, they were t-turtles. They weren't much b-bigger than Dot." Porky added.

"I bet they still pack a meaner than him." Foghorn muttered to Dot.

"I bet I pack a meaner punch than him." she whispered back.

"What was that?" Daffy huffed.

"Nothing, boy, nothing. Say, why don't we all head down to that station now? There's no reason to hang around here much longer."

"Sure, but where are we gonna go?" Daffy asked.

"I overheard some t-toons s-saying that the d-damage in Bevery H-Hills isn't t-too bad. We could go to your house, B-Bugs."

"Sure," Bugs said. He turned to Scratchansniff. "Are you sure you don't want to come? I have plenty of room."

"Nein. I have to stay here and help with the patients. I found Hello Nurse and she said that there were quite a few cases of PTSD. A building collapsed over on Rydale Drive and landed on a group of toons. I heard it was... messy, to say the least. I'm heading over to the trauma ward now to talk to a few of the victims and their families." Scratchansniff said.

"Well, thanks for everything. We owe you one." Bugs shook the psychiatrist's hand and took the tickets.

"It was no problem," Scratchansniff turned to Dot. "I hope you find Yakko and Wakko soon, Dot. I'm sure the little monkeys couldn't have gotten too far." he smiled.

"Thanks, Scratchy. Good luck with everything!" she smiled. Bugs took her hand and they started towards the door.

She was almost sad to see Scratchy disappear among the sea of toons. He sacrificed a lot to help them and had taken her brothers to safety at his own risk. Dot hoped she could someday pay him back for saving Yakko and Wakko. She would never forget what he did. For once, she was grateful for the psychiatrist's persistent and inquisitive ways, as it is very likely they could have been hurt- or worse- if it weren't for him.

They continued to push their way through the hospital, dodging medical equipment and impatient toons. Once they had reached a calmer area of the building, Foghorn cleared his throat and spoke up.

"Have you heard anything about the others?"

"Actually, we have," Porky perked up. "We r-r-ran into Sam, Sylvester, and Tweety on the w-way over here after we shook off t-those thugs."

"Were they alright?" Bugs asked. Porky started to answer when Daffy interrupted.

"Sam's arm looked a little banged up, but nothing too bad otherwise. They were supposed to meet us at the promo the day the earthquake hit but got stuck in traffic or something like that."

"Where were they going when you saw them?" Foghorn said. Daffy went to answer but Porky grabbed his beak.

"They said they were going to ch-check on Sam's sister and her f-family out in Los Angeles. Sylvester and Tweety didn't w-w-want to split off from him, I g-guess."

"I don't blame them." Bugs replied, ignoring the sour look on Daffy's face.

"Anyone else?" Foghorn asked.

"Nope. Though I t-think G-G-Granny is still visiting her d-daughter in Miami. She w-w-wasn't supposed to g-get back until n-next week."

"Good. But no- I say- no earthquake could ruffle her feathers. She'd be in better shape than us, she would," Foghorn added. "I just hope we hear from the others soon."

"Me too." Bugs sighed. He pushed open the door to the front entrance and they proceeded to the bus stop.

* * *

"Wakko, wake up." Yakko nudged his brother. It was almost noon and his brother was still out cold, yet the loud rumble in his stomach made it clear he didn't need a clock to tell him what time it was, or what time it was far past. He had always made sure that he and his sibs ate together every morning, and he wasn't about to let his brother's impromptu hibernation ruin his daily routine.

They hadn't gone to bed too late last night. After talking to Heather for an hour after she got home, Yakko felt wiped and dragged his reluctant brother to the spare bedroom. He had let Wakko sleep in the first morning they were here. He'd figured he needed to catch up on some sleep after traveling nonstop through Toontown for two days. Heck, he even slept in late that day. Although he was more of an "early to bed, early to rise" kind of guy himself, he was thankful for the extra rest. But this was their second morning here. Wakko should be caught up in the sleep department by now.

"Wakko! WAKKO!" he shook his brother's motionless form. Finally, after almost a minute of shaking Wakko, Yakko could finally see his eyes crack open. But just when he thought his brother was awake, Wakko made a muffled noise and buried his head deeper into the pillow.

"Wakko! You know what, fine. If you want to sleep then sleep. I'll just finish off that box of Lucky Charms by myself."

Yakko smirked when Wakko shot up from under the comforter. His fur stuck out at odd angles and his clothes were crinkled and a bit damp. Yakko stepped back to let his disheveled brother jumped out of bed. He knew better than anyone else (with the exception of Dot) that you shouldn't get in between Wakko and Lucky Charms; one of his favorite foods.

"No, no. I can help you." he croaked while rubbing his eyes. Wakko yawned and Yakko cringed as the stench of his breath reached his nose.

"Not before you freshen up a bit, bub," Yakko pushed Wakko into the bathroom and handed him one of the extra toothbrushes Heather had given them. "Don't worry, that cardboard leprechaun will still be grinning at you when you come out." he said and closed the door. He went to the kitchen and grabbed the cereal, milk, two bowls, and two spoons. Wakko came trudging out of the bathroom and took a seat at the table shortly after.

"Open." Yakko said as sat down next to him. Wakko frowned and reluctantly showed his brother his teeth.

Ever since Wakko had tried to get away with not brushing them for several weeks, and ultimately collecting a costly dentist bill and several fillings, Yakko made sure to check his teeth every morning and evening.

Wakko poured cereal and milk into the bowl and shoveled a spoonful into his mouth. Yakko never understood why Wakko preferred to brush his teeth before eating breakfast, and could only cringe when Wakko had told him that "a hint of mint makes everything taste better." Yakko shrugged. Everyone has their quirks, and someone with a name like "Wakko" should be entitled to quite a few. He picked up the newspaper Heather had left on the table and flipped to the comics section.

"Hey Wak, check out today's 'Family Circus'." he said and showed the page to Wakko and pointed to the small illustration in the corner. He looked up from his bowl and glanced at the comic before returning his gaze to the stray pieces of cereal floating on top of green colored milk.

"C'mon, not even a smile? It's you favorite comic!" Yakko exclaimed. Wakko simply shrugged his shoulders. Yakko set the newspaper down and raised an eyebrow at his brother. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine." Wakko said, avoiding Yakko's concerned look.

"Ehh... you don't seem it. Are you sick?"

"No. Really, I'm good," he said. Yakko got up and knelt down beside his little brother. He placed a hand on his forehead and Wakko jerked back. "I'm not sick." he said in a slightly aggravated tone.

"Is something bothering you?" Yakko tried again. He watched as Wakko chewed on his bottom lip.

"No... well- no..." Wakko drifted off.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Yakko asked gently. He didn't like seeing something eat at his brother like this.

"It's just- I mean...I don't want to get you upset." Wakko muttered.

"Wak, I'm sure I can handle whatever you have to say. If I can sit through an hour block of that _Captain Planet_ junk with Dot I can survive a chat with my brother," he nudged Wakko. "You can tell me."

"Okay. Well, I had a dream last night that something was chasing me, you, and Dot. I don't know what it was, but I turned around and you guys were gone," he paused.

"You can keep going." Yakko said, putting a hand on his knee. Wakko took a deep breath before continuing.

"I didn't know where you went. But then I kept running. It was really dark and I tripped over something. I- I looked down and you two were laying there. You weren't moving or anything. I tried to wake you and Dot up but you wouldn't. It sounds stupid, but it just kinda freaked me out." he looked at Yakko.

"I don't blame you. I'd be freaked out, too. But everything's going to be okay, alright?" Wakko gave a short nod before Yakko pulled him in for a hug. He felt Wakko's arms slip around his torso and he squeezed him to his chest.

"Feel any better?"

"Yeah. Thanks." Wakko said as a small smile crept onto his lips. Yakko got up and pulled Wakko's red hat around on his head.

"No problem, sib. Now, how about you go get dressed while I clean up. Just be quick 'cause I saw in the paper a rerun of the 'Miss America' pageant is on. I bet we'll tune in right in time for the swimsuit competition." he winked. Wakko rolled his eyes and went into their room.

Yakko had just gathered the bowls and spoons when the apartment door burst open. The door's loud and sudden impact with the wall almost made him to drop the dishes and scream bloody murder. Thankfully, he had restrained himself from letting out a shrilly shriek, and was able to keep a firm grip on the objects in his hands and what little manliness he had developed in the short time since he had started puberty. He turned to find a distraught Heather clumsily shutting the door and running towards him. Out of the corner of his eye, Yakko noticed that Wakko had come out of their room in fresh clothing.

"Is everything okay?" Yakko asked hesitantly.

"No. I think some of Smokey's guys are are on their way here." she stammered.

"What? How'd they find us?" Yakko asked as a bubble of fear rose in his chest. Wakko, who appeared to have the same feeling, came over and stood beside him.

"I don't know... I was just walking to the store to get lunch for my friends at work and I saw them following me. I shook them off but they'll probably get here any minute. We've got to get you out of here." she grabbed the two of them by their shoulders and pushed them out the door.

"Where are we gonna go?" Yakko said.

"Shh! Keep your voice down." she hissed. Yakko, seeing no other option, shut his mouth. The moved down various side streets and alleys in total silence; their padded feet mostly concealing the noise from their footsteps.

Yakko looked over at Wakko as they ran. His mouth was set in a thin line and his eyes were stuck in a wide stare. Yakko gulped. He wanted to reach over and grab his brothers hand, but figured he'd trip up the woman between them. He just wanted to offer him some kind of reassurance, but couldn't. Frustrated and terrified, Yakko continued to pump his legs in a hollow rhythm.

Heather slowed to a halt when the approached the bottom of a large hill. She let go of them and jammed her hand into her pocket. Yakko didn't see exactly what she pulled out but didn't argue when she shoved it into his hand.

"Here, take these. Go and-" Heather started as the sounds of shouting traveled down the block. "Just get up that hill and don't stop until-" the shouting was getting louder and panic was contorting her features. "Be safe!"

She gave them a meek smile and took off. Yakko, seeing the urgency of the situation, put the object in his pocket and picked up Wakko. He used his toonspeed to get up the hill. By the time the reached the top, Yakko felt like he had just been hit by a car a thousand times over. He hadn't realized how heavy Wakko had gotten. Wheezing, he placed Wakko on the ground and looked around while reaching into his pocket.

"Well, Wak. I guess this is what she meant."

* * *

"No, that's the San Diego bus. I don't even think the roads are open down there. I swear the Beverly Hills one is over there." Bugs said and pointed to a bus in front of them.

"See here, rabbit. This sign is clearly pointing to our bus." Daffy argued and pointed to a sign that was almost completely covered by moss. The only lettering that could be seen was an uppercase B.

"Boy, use your head! That sign points to the bathrooms, see? Look- I say- look in the direction it's pointing to. Porta potties don't have wheels and drive away, last time I checked."

"Ok, fine. Do tell us where this said bus is, oh great navigator." Daffy spat.

"It's over there." Dot pointed to a large blue bus across the street from them. A sign above it read "Beverly Hill Express."

"N-Nice job, gentlemen," Porky rolled his eyes. "I believe Dot's ri-rig-correct."

"And it's next to the porta potties! See, I was still right!" Daffy exclaimed with a confident grin. Foghorn whacked him on the back of the head and stepped into the crosswalk.

"Boy's still dumber than a sack of potatoes." he muttered, earning a small nod from Bugs. Dot suppressed her giggles as Daffy rubbed his head and mumbled certain phrases that would have earned her a time out from Yakko. They were about halfway across the road when a large jeep nearly clipped Porky, who was at the back of their group.

"Ah! G-get a m-move on u-up there, Foghorn!" Porky yelled as he quickened his pace. Once they had all reached the safety of the sidewalk, Bugs gave Dot and Foghorn their tickets.

"Just show him this when you get on, alright?" Bugs told her.

Dot nodded and followed Foghorn and Daffy up the bus's stairs. She showed the driver her ticket and joined the others on a row of seats. She sat between Bugs and Daffy and looked out of the window behind her. People were walking across the sidewalk and stumbling through the crowd in search of their buses. She noted that their own bus was quickly filling up.

She felt the bus's engine start and was just about to turn around when something caught her eye. A bright red hat peeked out through the crowd of people on the sidewalk. Her breath hitched when she saw that the hat sat atop a black and white furred toon, and another toon like him trotted beside him as they weaved their way through the tight mass of bodies. The taller one was clutching the smaller one's hand, and before she realized what she was doing, Dot jumped off the seat and took off towards the door.

She heard Bugs calling out to her as she ran, but didn't stop to respond. Dot dodged multiple bags, bodies, and even canes as she sprinted towards the toons. A tightness was growing in her legs but she ignored it and sped up.

"Yakko! Wakko!" she shouted as loud as she could.

The two boys turned around and enormous grins lit up the faces. "Dot!" they yelled in unison. They ran towards her and tackled her in a humongous hug.

Her brothers were holding her so tightly she could barely breathe. She felt wet tears trickle down her cheeks as she squeezed them as hard as she could. Her wrist burned from being jammed between her brothers' bodies and she felt a bit lightheaded from breathing into their shirts, but none of that mattered right now. Yakko and Wakko were here.

She was finally home.


	9. Chapter 9

"We were so worried." Yakko murmured as he rubbed his cheek against Dot's. Wakko nodded and squeezed his arms tighter around his little sister.

"I was, too." Dot responded and relaxed as her brothers held her close. She had never felt so happy and relieved. It almost felt surreal that they were actually here.

Although it had only been a week since they were separated, this was definitely the hardest situation she had ever had to endure. Even after their parents died and they were sent to that awful place, Dot still had her brothers by her side. They had made those terrible days bearable. Between Wakko's lopsided grin and Yakko's cheesy one-liners, the Warner brothers had protected and loved their little sister unconditionally and made her feel safe. Dot felt as though piece of her was missing when they were torn away from her.

But they were here now. She didn't have to constantly wonder where they were and what state they were in. She didn't have to listen to the countless "what ifs" that clouded her mind and could finally relax her nerves. After what felt like an eternity, Dot was whole again.

"Dot... Dot!" she heard Bugs call over the noise around them. Dot turned around to find large gray ears sticking out over the crowd. She watched Bugs as he pushed his way towards them.

"Is that Bugs Bunny?" Wakko stammered. The rabbit broke through the hoard of toons and looked down at Dot. She smirked when shocked expressions washed over her brothers' faces.

"What was that, doc? You can't just run off like-" Bugs trailed off when his eyes landed on Yakko and Wakko. He opened his mouth to say something but shut it quickly.

"I'm a bit lost." Wakko said slowly.

"Me too, Wak," Yakko said. "Dot, what's-" he continued before a loud bus horn interrupted him.

"Look, I know there's a lot of explaining to do, but our bus is about to leave and I'm not too keen on missing it. We'll fill in all the little details in a minute, okay?" Bugs gestured towards the bus. Dot took her brothers' hands and followed Bugs, who was shoving anyone in their path out of the way. She ran down the sidewalk and bumped off of Wakko when Bugs made a sudden halt at the bus's door.

"Ah, shoot. You two need tickets." he rubbed his hand over his face with the other hand on his hip. Yakko looked down at Wakko before widening his eyes and shoving his hand into his pocket.

"We already have those." Yakko pulled out two crinkled pieces of paper and grinned. He gave one of them to Wakko and ran up the steps.

"Thank you, Heather!" Wakko said as he followed him.

"Who?" Dot asked.

"They can answer that question on the bus," Bugs nudged her up the steps. He pushed past Yakko and Wakko and led the Warners back to the others. Dot was jostled by the other passengers as she trailed behind, and was impressed by how many bodies could be squashed into such a tight space.

"B-B-Bugs? The b-bus driver said that he was going to leave i-if you weren't b-back soon. Did you f-find her?" Porky said when they came into view.

"Yep. And these two here." he pointed to Yakko and Wakko, who gave small waves upon seeing Foghorn, Porky, and Daffy.

"You found them? Well good- I say- good for you little lady!" Foghorn exclaimed.

"So that's why you ran off..." Daffy started. "I thought it was because you dropped a toy or something stupid- OW!" he said, earning a sharp jab from Porky.

"Excuse him. You know how ducks are and all. Their filter-less brains are genetic," Bugs said. "I'll sit next to my little buddy here and you three can sit in that seat there. I know it's not ideal, but it's better than standing." he pointed to an empty seat besides Foghorn. The rooster was staring down a lanky flamingo who was squashed against the wall by two rhinos and eyeing the seat viciously.

"That'll work." Dot said and pulled Yakko and Wakko towards the seat. They squeezed onto it and she settled herself between her brothers.

"So, do tell us why you're with a few Looney Tunes in Cameron district, sister sib." Yakko said as he wrapped an arm around Dot.

"Sure, but only if you tell me about this Heather girl first. Is she your new girlfriend or are you just trying to replace me?"

"Ehh, not quite. She's our cousin," Yakko started. "Besides, we could never replace you. You'd blow us up with the biggest stick of dynamite in Toontown if we tried."

"I can't disagree there," she nodded. "And what do you mean she's our cousin? I've never heard of us having any aunts or uncles."

"It's kinda a long story..." Wakko muttered.

"We've got time," Dot said. The bus had just pulled away from the station and was stopped at the bottom of Climper Ave. A waterline had burst and a police officer was redirecting traffic through a small cramped side street. "Those cars are packed tighter together than deli meat, so we're probably not going anywhere for a while."

"True... alright. How 'bout I start from the beginning of last week?" Yakko said.

"Sounds good to me." Dot said. She sat back and eagerly listened as her brothers filled her in on their time apart. Yakko animatedly described their journey while Wakko added the few bits he missed.

"-and then we met Heather. She's great Dot- you'd love her. We stayed at her place for a few days until we ran here."

"Ran?"

"Well, we were, ah, introduced to some not-so-nice folks. We wanted to go out and look for you some more in the Towntoon districts but it was too dangerous. We even spent a day or two over in Cohlton district before coming here since it's not that far from the lot. Heather said that the guys we ran into had stuck around the neighborhood after we got to her place. We really wanted to look for you, but she all but barricaded us in her apartment."

"Yeah. And Heather has a mallet-proof door. We couldn't get out even if we wanted to." Wakko said.

"Heather was kidding when she said that." Yakko rolled his eyes.

"No it's not. It didn't budge when I-" Wakko quickly shut his mouth when he saw Yakko raised an eyebrow at him. "I just wanted to see what would happen if I tapped the door with Chuck." Wakko said quickly and took his mallet out of his hammerspace. Dot rolled her eyes at the mention of "Chuck."

"You didn't try to mallet her door down, did you?" Yakko eyed Wakko.

"No- not really. She had this book laying around about toon physics and I read about some new ways to swing a mallet. The book said you could only really tell if you did them right by looking at the damage left on the object, and that a flat surface is the best thing to use for a target, since it's easy to manipulate... something like that. Heather said she mallet-proofed her door after some robbers knocked it down and broke in a few months ago, so I figured why not try it out. Chuck didn't leave any damage, Yakko, I swear." Wakko said.

"I'm wasn't asking if Chuck did anything, Wak. I was asking if you did."

Dot listened to her brothers' banter. For once, she didn't mind their bickering, and was slightly amused by Wakko's curiosity. Maybe he could show her some of those new mallet techniques he had learned when they got to Bugs's house.

She remembered the day Wakko had gotten Chuck. It was tradition for a toon to receive a mallet between the sixth and tenth birthday from a parent, depending on the young toon's talent and capabilities. Yakko had hoped to give it to him earlier, but he couldn't afford one with their meager savings they had managed to save in the orphanage. So on Wakko's eighth birthday, Yakko had taken him and Dot out to dinner at a fancy restaurant in dowtown Burbank.

He told them that this was where Dad had given him his own mallet when he was a little younger than Wakko. It was his favorite memory with their late father, and it was clear that he was determined to make Wakko's eighth birthday as special as he could in the absence of their parents. After ordering the most extravagant dinner he could afford with part of their first paycheck from the studio, Yakko gave the handcrafted mallet to his little brother.

Thrilled to finally have a mallet of his own, Wakko named it Chuck ("You know, like a woodchuck," he told them). Dot told him that it was a silly name, but quickly apologized after receiving a small kick from Yakko under the table and seeing Wakko's wild grin fade a little. Ultimately, if Wakko was happy then she was, too.

"Are you two done yet?" Dot asked.

"Yeah. We'll finish this later, Wakko." Yakko responded. He didn't seem too upset at his brother's antics, and Dot could tell he was trying to hold back a hint of a grin.

"Sure... So how did you end up here?" Wakko said as he shrugged off his brother's stare.

Dot launched into her account of the past week. She told them how she met Bugs and where they had been. However, she left out a few minor details. They didn't need to know that she got a bit banged up after falling into the pit or about the creepy guy at the shelter. They had just found each other again and she decided that it would be nice to spend some time without having her brothers fret over her.

"And you just ran into a bunch of Looney Tunes and got all buddy-buddy with them? Do you know how many people dream of doing that?" Yakko said, trying to keep his voice low so Foghorn didn't hear him. The rooster was animatedly telling Porky about some trip to Cancun, so it was unlikely he even noticed they were talking.

"Quite the contrary, Yakko. I met them in the middle of a natural disaster, which isn't really the best timing for making friends," Dot started. "Besides, I didn't run into them all at once. I told you I met Bugs first."

"Yeah, but I don't think you realize how big this is. Do you know how hard it is to find them on the lot? All of their shootings are closed and they hardly ever socialize with guys like us unless there's a big event or something." Yakko said even quieter.

"Careful Dot. He might drool on you." Wakko snickered.

"You know what I mean! It's pretty cool. Skippy said it took him a whole year just to get Yosemite Sam's autograph! And Slappy's one of his best friends!" Yakko stated. Dot rolled her eyes and was about to respond when she caught Bugs glancing over at them.

"Hold that thought for a sec, Yak. I'll be right back." she said and went over to the rabbit. She ducked as a large feathery tail swung in her direction.

"Sorry sweetie!" the tail's owner, a large hen, called out to her. Brushing off her pants, she zig-zagged around the woman and approached Bugs.

"You should watch out for those things." Bugs chuckled.

"Yeah. You can never predict what a barnyard animal will do." Daffy added. Bugs sighed and rolled his eyes at the duck.

"You could try to be a little more politically correct, doc. You don't want the public to think you're as insensitive as you actually are. Besides, a duck is no better. They just swim around in filthy water all day." Bugs said.

"Excuse me, but a duck is more civilized than any-" Daffy started.

"Do you three need anything? I have the snacks from the hospital if you're hungry." Bugs turned to Dot, ignoring the scowl Daffy sent him.

"I think we're good for now, but Wakko might get a munchie attack in a bit. You never know when one of those things are going to hit." Dot shrugged.

"Then take this in case," he handed her a brown paper bag from his hammerspace. "It should keep him over for a bit."

"Thanks. How long do you think it'll take to get to your house?" she asked.

"At least a few hours. See that woman over there?" he pointed to a young blonde woman who was holding a little boy across the aisle. "I overheard her talking to someone a few minuets ago. I guess her husband's a police officer and he said they're almost done making the roads to Beverly Hills usable again."

"Figures all the rich folk get fixed first..." an old man next to Daffy muttered. Daffy, surprised that the man had been listening to their conversation, frowned and shifted closer to Bugs.

"Anyway... I found this on the ground outside after you ran off the bus," Bugs reached into his hammerspace once more and pulled out her yellow flower bow. He leaned forward and tied it back around her ears. "It must have fallen out when you were running."

"Thanks! I didn't even know it was missing." she admitted. Dot was surprised that she hadn't noticed it was gone, but figured her eagerness to get to her brothers overshadowed any concern she had for her favorite hair accessory.

"No problem, kid. And I think you might want to get back to your brothers. It's not looking too pretty over there." he gestured through the crowd to Yakko and Wakko. Yakko was pointing to Chuck, who was still in Wakko's hands, while Wakko simply shrugged his shoulders and pulled the mallet closer to his body.

"They're probably just talking about Chuck and Heather's door." she said absentmindedly, earning a slightly confused yet concerned look from Bugs.

"Mind translating that, doc?" he chuckled.

"It's a long story," she sighed. "Thanks again for the snacks!" Dot smiled and turned back to her brothers, side stepping the giant mass of feathers once again.

"You're becoming a big softy, rabbit." Daffy said after Dot was out of earshot. Bugs rolled his eyes and sat back in his seat, looking out at the cars and buildings outside.

"I'm not that much of a softy..." he muttered.

* * *

Bosko paced back and forth in the small room he and Oswald had been given. Oswald had gone off with Gonzo about a half an hour ago and Bosko had been awaiting his return since. He really didn't care if he saw the bastard one way or the other. He just needed to talk to him, and hadn't been able to catch him so far today.

Oswald usually came back to the room before dinner so he figured that this would be the best place to find him. After what felt like another eternity and a half, the door finally opened and Oswald walked in.

"What's up?" Oswald asked.

"Nothin'. How was it playing mommy for those stupid rats?"

"Don't even get me started on it. It's like those kids are on an eternal sugar high. Well, 'cept one of the smaller ones is almost moodier than you. They're the worst little twerps... They can't do anything right and worship Tango like he's the second messiah. I can't believe Smokey threw them at me like this." Oswald said.

"Those dopes did catch Mugsy and Rocky yesterday. He must have thought it was best." Bosko said.

"I know, but they caught them on accident! Smokey told them to go to a specific address down near the pier but they got lost on the way. They just lucked out because they ran into them on the street on the way back. It's not like I asked to take these morons when I'm out on watch. Hell, I don't even want to be on watch! I feel like the cops are always breathing down my neck." Oswald threw his bag down on his bed.

"I'm sure you're just overreacting or somethin'. You'll get a better job sooner or later."

"I don't think I'm overreacting. Hell, I think we're rushing this whole 'revenge' thing, to be honest."

"What? How could you not-"

"Listen, it's not that I'm trying to go against you or something. It's just that it's nice being out of Clampett, and I'd at least like some time to recover from it before I jump back into risking my neck again."

"You promised me you'd help out with this! And you know I'd help you if you asked me." Bosko said.

"I know, but there is so much more out there for us. We could be normal for once, even if it's only for a little bit." Oswald replied.

"Normal? This is normal for us. Look around. When was the last time you were able to walk down the street and not get chased by a fan or a cop. You haven't been normal since you signed on with that studio. In fact, you won't be normal until you're dead in the ground, rotting just like the rest of us," he pointed to the floor. "Here Smokey and his boys let us be one of them- be a part of something- which is the closest thing to normal we've had in years. They're not chasing us down. They're letting us have a shot at being successful!" Bosko said.

"But what is success, Bosk?"

"We've been over this a thousand times..." Bosko was becoming increasingly irritated at Oswald.

"I know, but what are we gonna do after all of this is over? I don't know if I want to end up back in Clampett again."

"I- well, I didn't even want to talk about this in the first place-" Bosko began to answer but stopped when several loud knocks rang against the metal door. He turned to open it but was stopped by Oswald.

"Look, don't go thinking that I'm walking out on this 'cause I'm not. Just consider what I said." he said. Bosko sighed and opened the door to find Shorty staring up at him.

"Smokey wants you two in the basement." the small rat said.

"Why?" Oswald asked.

"I don't know. He didn't tell me." Shorty turned around to go back down the hallway but tripped over his disproportionately long tail.

"No wonder." Bosko muttered. He shook his head and they stepped into the hall.

Following the rat, Bosko looked around at the bleak and depressing hallways, which were becoming increasingly darker as they moved down several flights of stairs. They reached large metal doors and walked into the cold room behind them.

Clangs and bangs rang off of the stone walls and a thin layer of steam clouded the air. An intricate system of pipes and wires ran throughout the room and was connected to a large boiler in the center. Smokey, Gonzo, and Tango stood by two figures, who Bosko couldn't make out, that were sitting on two metal chairs. Several other rats stood dispersed around the room.

"What's going on?" Bosko muttered to Oswald.

"Gonzo was going on earlier about a surprise... maybe this will explain what he was talkin' about." Oswald shrugged as Smokey turned around and came towards them.

"Come on in," he greeted them. "I haven't seen you two since you left for Fat Tony's. I heard that went well."

"It did. We took care of Tony and got his boys to talk. Turns out he got a big bootlegging ring that's bringing in a ton of dough. We found out where it is and got a roster with every name of the toons who are in on it," Bosko said as he took the list out of his hammerspace and gave it to Smokey. "There are a bunch of big names on there."

"Impressive work. This will be quite useful." Smokey grinned and flipped through the pages. Bosko nodded and stretched his neck so he could see the two seated figures behind Smokey. They both had bags tied loosely around their heads, and one was shaking rapidly. Was that a whimper he heard?

"What's that?" Bosko gestured to the figures.

"You mean our guests? It's Mugsy and Rocky. Tango brought them down a little while before you got here," Smokey said, continuing to flip through the roster. "Why don't you come say hello." Smokey snapped the stack of paper shut and nodded his head towards them. Oswald and Bosko stepped forward and gazed at the figures as two rats took the bags off of their heads.

"Are they-" Oswald started before the smaller toon called out over him.

"Oswald? Is that you?"

"Yeah... Hey Rocky." Oswald said.

"Look, you gotta break us out of here," Rocky dropped his voice. "Somethin' ain't right."

"Aw, I wouldn't say that." Smokey said and came towards them. Bosko couldn't figure out how the rat had heard Rocky's muffled voice from where he was standing.

"Why?" Mugsy asked, earning a "Shut up!" from Rocky.

"What do ya mean? Everything here is fine," Smokey said. "You even get to join us for a little experiment today."

"Whaddya talkin' about?" Rocky demanded.

"Well, I've been thinkin' of a way to get Toontown back after morons like you stole it."

"Whaddya mean stole? There's nothin' there to take! No one's ever had control over the whole city." Rocky said, straining his neck to try and find which direction Smokey's voice was coming from.

"No, but the damn place has never had enough to go around. Some guys take everything good and leave nothin' but bones for the rest of us. Guys like you." Smokey inched closer to the two. "I'm plannin' to change that."

"How? Take down every bastard in the city?" Rocky scoffed.

"Essentially, yes."

"Huh? You'd need a lot of people for that..." Mugsy tilted his head.

"Oh, I'll have the numbers. They'll bring the authority I need to do it. In fact, that's where you two come in."

"We ain't joinin' if that's what you're playin' at." Rocky spat.

"I figured you might say that... Thankfully, Gonzo has some methods of persuasion to help convince you." Smokey ripped the bags off of their heads. "Gonzo?"

Gonzo stepped towards the large machine and pulled a black pen out of his pocket. He put on a pair of heavy gloves and opened a hatch on the machine, revealing a black, watery substance. He opened the top of the pen and poured some of the liquid into it. Careful not to drop it, he walked back to Smokey and the others. Bosko watched as a sly grin etched itself across the rat's face.

"What are you gonna do? Draw on us? Ooh, I'm so scared of some ink." Rocky chuckled.

"Listen, if you don't agree to my conditions this 'ink' will make your life a living hell. This stuff makes the best toons become nothin' in seconds."

"Nothin'? You make me nothin'? I'd like to see you try." Rocky laughed. Smokey stared hard at him.

"Fine. Ink him."

Gonzo moved in on Rocky with the pen and jabbed him in the arm with it. Shocked, Rocky struggled as Gonzo pressed down on the top of the pen.

Bosko saw some of the black liquid leak out and run down the gangster's arm while the rest flowed into his veins. Rocky's face grew pale and he slowly lost his composure. Oswald stared in shock and, for once, Bosko shared his reaction. Rocky's color had completely drained from his body, and an expressionless, white outline of a toon was now hunched over in front of them.

"Boss? Whaddid they do to ya? Answer me, Boss!" Mugsy began to cry when Rocky failed to respond. He just sat there, staring blankly into space. Smokey walked over and placed a hand on the distraught toon's shoulder.

"It's alright, kid. Maybe this will help you from making the same mistake," Smokey said, making Mugsy look even more upset. "How about this. I'll let him stay with you if you help us out with a few chores. Sound good?" Mugsy seemed to calm down a bit at this, but still looked apprehensive.

"Al-alright." he choked.

"That's a boy. Tango, mind helpin' these two to their room? You can give them the one down the hall, you know, next to the others." Smokey said to the large rat.

"No problem." Tango undid their bindings and supported Rocky as they left the room. The small toon could barely walk and looked like he was frozen in a daze as he stumbled against Tango. Mugsy followed them and still appeared to be deeply shaken.

Bosko turned to Oswald, who mirrored the tiniest bit of Mugsy's emotions. To the naked eye Oswald would appear to be fine. But Bosko could see that his mouth was pulled into a slightly smaller line and his eyes were just a bit wider than usual. Smokey nodded to Gonzo and the two moved towards them.

"What did that do to him?" Bosko asked.

"It took away his toon abilities. He can't open his hammerspace, can't toonspeed. Nothin'." Gonzo replied nonchalantly.

"All because of that ink?" Oswald said.

"Nah, that wasn't all ink. It's this special tar concoction I put together. Turns out tar, oil, ink, and some other stuff don't mix too well in toons."

"And you really made it?" Bosko said. He was having trouble seeing Gonzo being allowed within a forty feet radius of a lab, let alone working in one. The fox scowled at him.

"Gonzo's smarter than you'd think. Saved me a lot of time and money with this stuff. Once toons see it in effect, they'll be jumpin' to join us. No one wants to go through what you just saw." Smokey replied.

"Sure, but why didn't you tell us sooner?" Oswald asked.

"It was a surprise. I figure toons should be kept on their feet, you know? Makes them tougher," he grinned. He glanced down at his watch and peered over their shoulders as a group of rats made their way into the room. "I have a meeting in ten minutes, so I'm gonna go. I'll send Fritz up with some papers later." he said and left with the rats. Gonzo nodded to them and followed the group out.

"Wow..." Oswald said after the last toon had left the room.

"Yeah. That was... interesting. C'mon, let's go get a drink or somthin'. I don't like hanging around down here." Bosko said. Oswald nodded and they made their way to Smokey's makeshift bar on the second floor in silence.

For the first time, Bosko was a little disturbed by one of Smokey's actions. He understood why he would "ink" someone, but it was a little uncomfortable watching one toon destroy another toon like that. He would be absolutely devastated without his toon abilities. They were the only sure thing in his life, and remembering that he was capable of using them better than almost anyone else in the business was one of the few things that got him through Clampett. Being without his toon abilities permanently would leave him completely hollow, even if he wasn't inked. He knew that casualties often came with change, but this was even more cruel than death.

Yet by the time they walked into the cramped bar, Bosko had come to terms with what he had witnessed. In the end, he trusted Smokey. If this was the route the rat wanted to take, then so be it. He would back him. He sat down at the counter and ordered a glass of Scotch. Taking a swig from his glass, Bosko was almost completely recovered from the day's events.

Only one thing still scratched at the back of his mind. Rocky didn't scream, or do anything for that matter. He just sat there.


	10. Chapter 10

"Beverly Hills Station!"

Dot jumped up from the seat she shared with her brothers, who nearly toppled her as they simultaneously tried to stand up, and trailed behind the line of passengers making their way off the bus. It had cleared out somewhat at the last few stops, and she could finally move without the threat of being crushed literally looming over her. An elephant had come very close to crushing her when the bus jolted and he lost his footing a few miles ago.

Porky yawned loudly and stretched his arms as he and the others walked towards the door. Bugs nudged Daffy ahead and waved at Foghorn to move faster. He looked back at the three Warners to make sure they were close behind before getting off of the bus.

Dot was just about to hop off of the last step when she froze and looked down at her hands. Seeing nothing, she realized she had left her stuffed cat Muffin on their seat, which she had pulled out of her hammerspace about a half an hour ago.

"Could you please hold on for a second?" she turned and asked the bus driver. Not waiting for a response, Dot ran back down the aisle and seized the small kitten from under the seat. Relieved, Dot bounded back down to the front of the bus and thanked the driver.

"Second time this kid's makin' me late." she heard him mutter before she got off.

"Got everything now?" Bugs asked. She nodded and held up Muffin.

"This time it was for a toy- OW! I'm starting to form a bruise there, ya know." Daffy sputtered as Bugs punched his arm again.

"Your fate's in your own hands, doc." Bugs said over a woman who was talking loudly into her cell phone. Her voice continued to rise as she click-clacked by them in red pumps.

"Some p-p-people have n-no manners." Porky huffed.

"Wait, was she talking on a cell phone?" Foghorn asked.

"No, it was a banana, genius," Daffy rolled his eyes. "Of course it's a cell phone! What kind of stupid question is that?"

"What I'm trying to say is that one of us probably has one, boy." Foghorn replied.

"Then you should have just asked us if we had one!" Daffy said.

"Boy doesn't listen," Foghorn shook his head. "Anyone got a phone? Mine broke a few weeks back and I haven't replaced it yet."

"Mine and D-Daffy's are back at the h-h-hotel we were s-staying at." Porky said.

"I don't think mine would work... the piece of junk is spotty even when all the cell towers around here are intact. Besides, what do we even need it for? We'll be at my place in a little bit."

"We could see if anyone called you, you know, like Wile or Roadrunner. Maybe- I say- maybe we can see if they're all right. If that lady had service then you might, too. I doubt the landline at your house is gonna work."

"Alright, I guess it's worth a shot." Bugs reached into his hammerspace and pulled out his Nokia cell phone. Turning it on, he saw that there were two missed calls.

"Who are they from?" Daffy asked as he peered over the rabbit's shoulder.

"Plotz..." Bugs sighed.

"Of all the people to call..." Yakko muttered beside her.

"You should c-c-call him back. It c-could b-be important." Porky said.

"I guess. I'm still amazed I even have service... darned thing never works otherwise." Bugs dialed Plotz's number and held it to his ear. Dot heard it ring a few times before a voice answered.

"Hi, Plotz. It's Bugs," the muffled voice on the other line grew louder as it yelled into the phone. "Yes, I know I didn't answer the other day, but I didn't have- no, I know. Yes, I'm alright. Foghorn, Daffy, Porky, and the Warners are here, too- yes, all three of them. The kids are fine. We're heading over to my place now," Bugs rolled his eyes when the voice got even louder. "I mean, if you really want to, but I don't think it's necessary- Okay, okay. We'll see you tomorrow evening. Take care." Bugs took the phone away from his ear and ended the call. "Guess who's coming to dinner?"

"Spencer Tracy?" Wakko asked.

"Katharine Hepburn?" Yakko chimed in.

"Sadly, no. Good ole' Plotz wants to stop by and check in on us tomorrow." Bugs answered.

"Wonderful." Daffy groaned.

"Can't you just get- I say- get him to come some other time? I was looking forward to some quiet time. Been goin' nonstop for too long now." Foghorn said.

"I wish, but I don't think that's an option. Once Plotz gets his gears spinning they don't stop." Bugs sighed and looked up at the setting sun overhead. "We should get going. My street's a few blocks over." Bugs pointed out to Dot, Wakko, and Yakko.

They nodded and began walking down the street. Yakko took Dot's hand and nudged Wakko forward. Dot noticed that the area seemed okay compared to others. The woman on the bus had been right when saying the roads here were nearly fixed. Black tar covered the previously cracked pavement, and damaged storefronts were being repaired or boarded up by workers. Several other toons were talking in a group near by, but other than them, only humans seemed to be around.

This wasn't a surprise, seeing that this was Beverly Hills and not Toontown, but Dot still felt a bit out of place. The ritzy atmosphere here was evident even in the wake of an earthquake, and was much different from the shabby and unconventional vibe of the water tower. After about 20 minuets of walking, the group arrived at the corner of Bloomington Drive and Cheauralt Avenue.

"My house is up on Bloomington," he told the Warners. "It's the last one on the left- wait, what's that?" Bugs squinted at a group of humans. Some were leaning over a blur Dot couldn't quite make out and others were talking quietly among each other. One man in a business suit was yelling into a phone and another was darting his eyes around the area, quickly adverting them when he met Dot's gaze.

"You kids stay here for a second." Foghorn said before crossing the street to the crowd. Daffy and Bugs followed while Porky opted to stay behind and "g-give the k-ids c-company."

Bugs, Daffy, and Foghorn made their way to the toon who sat on the ground with his head slumped on his arms. Foghorn leaned down and placed a hand on his shoulder, but a woman blocked Dot's view of them before she could see how the toon reacted. Bugs and Daffy were talking to one of the humans, and after a few more minutes they came back with Foghorn. The man in a suit had put away his phone and was looking back and forth between the two ends of the road while the toon remained stiffly seated on the ground.

"What happened?" Wakko asked. Foghorn and Daffy looked at Bugs, who answered.

"The toon over there was in an accident. There's nothing to worry about, an ambulance is coming," he told them. "Why don't we keep moving, eh? I do believe I froze some carrot cake a few weeks back that has my name written all over it. I read in Reader's Digest a while ago that freezing it helps it last longer."

"Are y-you sure it w-w-wasn't just carrots they w-were talking about?" Porky said.

"Might've been. I'm not sure. I just thought I'd give it a try. You know I'm game for anything that involves carrots." he grinned.

Dot looked back at the toon and saw that several police cars and an ambulance now surrounded the scene. She noticed Wakko kept looking back and Yakko was stealing a glance at the action every few seconds. She had no idea what was going on, but was too thrilled to be going to a shelter with real beds and a bathroom with a lockable door to pay anymore attention.

Bugs had told her on the bus that he had enough room for everyone to have their own beds. The thought of that alone successfully distracted Dot from thinking anymore about what was behind her.

They walked up Bloomington Drive at a brisk pace with Foghorn leading the pack. The rooster seemed desperate to get to Bugs's house and would probably be flying there if he could. Practically sprinting after him, Yakko, Wakko, and Dot looked around at the impressive mansions on the rabbit's street. Dot liked the large pink one with an in-ground swimming pool in its front yard especially. It gave a nice pop of color to the mostly tan and white row of houses.

"It's up there." Bugs said to them as he fished through his hammerspace for his keys.

They looked up at the mansion Bugs had gestured to. It was one of the larger homes and was situated at the end of the street. A tall fence surrounded the property and a gate stood in front of a long driveway.

Bugs unlocked the gate and opened it, letting them into the long driveway trimmed with hydrangea bushes. The simple yet imposing home sitting at the end of it was nothing short of stunning. However, Dot noted that a few short trees had fallen in the yard and several cracks littered the stone foundation.

"Looks like you've got some repairs to do." Daffy pointed out.

"Seems so. I'll look around tomorrow to see what else is wrong." Bugs yawned. He went up the stairs and unlocked the large front door.

The Warners followed the others inside to a long, marble floored hallway. Several paintings hung from the pale blue walls and a wide doorway opened into an airy living room with tall windows. A staircase was situated against the closest wall and another doorway connected the hallway to a dining room.

"Welcome to my humble abode, ladies and gentlemen." Bugs said.

"Not too shabby..." Yakko muttered. Wakko nodded in agreement.

"I'll be in the kitchen if anyone needs me." Daffy licked his lips and sped off down the hall.

"Hold on for a sec, doc!" Bugs ran after him. Foghorn and Porky raised an eyebrow at each other and followed them. Not knowing what else to do, Yakko led Wakko and Dot towards the kitchen.

"Everything in here's bad!" Daffy whined as they walked in. He was frantically waving around a questionable looking jar of mayonnaise as the fridge door hung open. Dot scrunched her nose when a wave of rotten eggs reached her nose.

"What do you want me to do about it? It's not my fault the power went out while I was gone." Bugs said.

"I don't know! Go to the store maybe?" Daffy said.

"I'm too tired to go right now, Daf. If it's that big of a deal you can always go."

"No way! I'm the guest, and guests don't do their host's chores." the duck crossed his arms.

"The host can always kick out the guest, you know." Bugs said.

"Let's n-not get too t-testy. B-Bugs probably has some e-emergency supplies s-s-somewhere with something we can eat that's still g-good." Porky turned to Bugs.

"I did until Foghorn got drunk and broke into it on New Year's Eve. I found it the day after with every can of soup opened and empty on the floor next to it. He's lucky I'm a vegetarian, or else he might have eaten a long lost relative." Bugs teased.

"The rabbit thinks he's funny... Look, I said I was sorry," Foghorn replied calmly. "I also said you had to lock that stuff up, didn't I? None of you ever listen, I tell you." Foghorn said. Bugs rubbed his forehead.

"Look, there's some peanut butter and bread in that cabinet over there we can have. It might be a little stale, but I'm definitely not going to the store tonight," he shot a look at Daffy and turned to the Warners. "Does that sound appetizing enough to you three?"

Yakko, Wakko, and Dot nodded their heads, Wakko a little more violently than necessary. Dot suppressed a giggle. She figured he was on the verge of another munchie attack and it would be wise to give him whatever food they could find at this point.

"Fine, fine. That'll do for tonight." Daffy gave in. Satisfied, Bugs pulled a loaf of bread and container of peanut butter out of the cabinet.

* * *

Dot swallowed the last bite of her peanut butter sandwich as she leaned back against Bugs's couch. Other than the partially stale bread, It hadn't been that bad. Wakko had even downed a second sandwich in the time she had been halfway done with her first.

"There's nothing good on." Wakko sighed while flipping through the stations for the umpteenth time. Lucky for them, the cable was working and they were able to watch the last five minutes of "Full House" before a football game came on.

"Then read a book. There's a ton on the shelves over there." Yakko pointed to the mahogany bookcase next to the TV. He found a book about advanced toon theory about ten minutes after the adults had gone upstairs to discuss "boring grown-up things" as Daffy had put it, and hadn't put it down since.

"Eh, no thanks," Wakko said. Dot watched as a small grin started to spread across Wakko's face. Slowly, he crept up behind his brother's chair. "Though I do have an idea."

"Would you mind expanding on it then, Wak?" Yakko said without looking up from his book. "I value ambiguity as much as I value Pamela Anderson wearing a snowsuit in a centerfold."

"Sure." Wakko launched himself from behind the chair and grabbed his brother, tackling him to the ground. Laughing, Yakko wrapped his arm loosely around Wakko's neck and rubbed his hat into his head.

"I wasn't expecting a round of 'tough guys' today, but I'll humor you for a bit. I always win, anyway." Yakko said smoothly as Wakko continued to struggle under him. Just as it seemed Yakko had won, Wakko pulled out of his grip and yanked him down to the ground.

"Do you now?" Wakko said triumphantly. Yakko grabbed his ear and yanked him down next to him, and the two playfully swung at each other. Dot got up and walked over to the tangled lump of her brothers on the floor. They hadn't played "tough guys"- a wrestling game dubbed by Dad when Wakko and Yakko were little- in a while, and she had missed seeing them be so loose and carefree with each other.

"Boys. Go fig." she chuckled.

"What was that, Dot?" Yakko grinned while ducking Wakko's foot. "I smell like a pig? I don't think Porky would appreciate you saying that." he pulled her into their tangled mess of limbs and began tickling her mercilessly. She was giggling to the point of tears when Yakko finally let go of her to put Wakko into yet another headlock.

"Watch the hat!" Wakko laughed strenuously.

"What hat? This hat?" Yakko asked, pulling the red cap out of his brother's reach. Wakko coiled his tail and scrunched down. Just as he launched into the air, Yakko tossed it over to Dot. But before she could catch it, Wakko swiftly turned and sprung at it. He caught it and sent a stack of books sailing to the ground when his tail whacked them off of the coffee table.

"Is everything okay down there?" Dot sat down on the couch when she heard Bugs yell from upstairs.

"Yeah, just knocked into some books. They're fine!" Yakko yelled back.

"Alright, just be careful. I don't want Donald Duck quaking up my rear-end because the crystal decanter he lent me broke." Bugs called down before walking away from the stairs.

"Maybe we should call a timeout for a little bit." Yakko said as he stretched out his back. Wakko plopped his hat back onto his head and nodded.

"Sounds good. I need to use the little girl's room, anyway," Dot pushed herself off of the couch to go to the bathroom but stopped short. "Do you have any idea where that would be?" Dot asked.

"No, but I'm sure Bugs has at least a few around here somewhere. The place is so big it could be a hotel," Yakko strained his neck into the hallway. "There might be one upstairs, but I haven't seen any yet." Yakko said.

"You'll find one." Wakko shrugged. Dot yawned and started towards the staircase.

"Just don't get into any trouble." Yakko called as he sat back down onto his chair.

"Like I always get into trouble when I go to the bathroom." Dot muttered as padded up the first few steps.

Dot scanned the hallway for opened doors when she reached the top. Seeing several once she stepped onto the dark hardwood floor, she walked past and peeked into them. One held two beds and two dressers, and another had a queen bed and three bookshelves in it that screamed Yakko's name.

Daffy's voice reached her ears when she approached the slightly ajar door. Curious, she peeked through the gap to find Foghorn and Porky sitting in chairs while Daffy paced back and forth in front of a large, oak desk that Bugs sat behind. Her ears perked up when Daffy began to talk again.

"I'm telling you, toons aren't supposed to act like that!" Daffy said.

"We've determined that already," said Bugs. "What we need to figure out is why he was like that."

"His color wasn't normal. Looked like one of those toons they forgot to color back in the 30's, but I don't think that's the case. He looked too modern for that. Maybe he was sick with something?" Foghorn said.

"No t-that couldn't be. Did y-you s-see his arm? There was s-some bl-black paint or something on it. I-It looked wet." Porky responded.

"There's a drug in Toontown like that, flitz I think the kids call it. Quite a few- I say- quite a few people have overdosed from it. Its given the police a whole bunch of trouble. Are you sure it wasn't that?" Foghorn asked.

"I've seen that stuff and I can tell you that wasn't it. The drug isn't black like that." Bugs sighed.

"Maybe it's a new kind of it. You know how they're always changing drugs to make them stronger. Yeah, I bet they just made it stronger." Daffy said and slumped down in the chair next to Porky's.

"Even if they d-did make it stronger, i-it couldn't have t-taken away someone's c-color!" Porky sputtered. Dot watched as the four toons grew quiet for a moment.

"I don't see why this is such a big deal. This doesn't even involve us." Daffy said quietly.

"It doesn't, but a lot of weird things have been happening lately. First Bosko broke out, now this. I don't want something like that catching up with us, especially now that there's kids here." Bugs said.

"Do you think it has anything to do with Bosko?" Daffy asked softly.

"I sure as hell hope not, doc..." Bugs muttered and wiped his face with a gloved hand.

"We should keep our guard up regardless- I say- regardless, but I say we put this to bed for the night and hit the hay. No use in losing sleep over this when we-re all too tired to think straight." Foghorn said.

He and the others stood up to leave the room and Dot shuffled away from the door. She quickly moved past the remaining rooms and spotted bright blue tiles peaking out behind the last door in the hallway that sat slightly ajar.

She went inside, shut the door, and sat on the edge of the long white tub after switching on the light. It flooded the room with a soft, white glow that contrasted with the darkness outside the tall window and illuminated the analogue clock above the toilet, which read 10:30 PM.

It was strange that the adults were so wrapped up in the toon they had seen earlier. He did look weird, but she hadn't felt overly concerned by his presence. She felt bad that he looked sick, and it would be even more unfortunate if drugs were at fault, but why should it concern them? He hadn't done anything to them and it didn't sound like any of them knew him. And why did this Bosko guy keep coming up? The fact that the adults seemed so unsure and weary of these things was starting to worry her.

Usually Yakko would soak up most of the stress in their lives, while Dot and Wakko were responsible for distracting him from this burden. At the orphanage, Yakko made sure they all stayed together and had enough to eat, even if that meant he didn't for a day or two. He negotiated their contracts and made sure everything went smoothly at the studio, and took on their problems whenever they were at a loss of how to fix them.

Now, for once, she had taken on some of that stress. It wasn't like anything Yakko had experienced, yet it was still something that she knew and they didn't. As far as she knew, they didn't know anything about that Bosko guy (and she didn't really, either, but figured he wasn't good news), and hadn't heard how shaken the adults had seemed by it. It probably wasn't too big of a deal, but should she tell them?

After debating for several moments, Dot decided that she wasn't going to let Yakko and Wakko know what she had heard. There was no need to get them upset over something that she wasn't even sure was a problem. They had enough to worry about as it is.

* * *

"What took you so long?" Wakko asked as Dot entered the living room.

"I got lost upstairs. Did you know that there's a third floor?" Dot said. She had seen another staircase on the second floor that was adjacent to the one she'd gone up. She didn't know where it went exactly, but figured it was a safe enough excuse.

"Huh, we'll have to check that out later," Wakko stretched out against the couch. "But not tonight... too tired." he blinked his eyes.

"Me too, boy. I'm as tired as a sailor after a night in a bordello." Foghorn said in a booming voice from behind the couch. Wakko let out a small yelp and rolled off the couch with wide eyes. Porky nudged Foghorn and warned him to "watch your lan-lang-mouth!" Dot had seen them come in from the kitchen a few seconds ago, and was surprised Wakko hadn't heard them enter the room. Foghorn wasn't exactly a quiet toon.

"Sorry son, didn't mean to spook you. Gotta be more aware- I say- more aware of your surroundings," the rooster said as he picked Wakko up off of the floor by the back of his shirt and brushed him off. Plopping him down on the couch, Foghorn turned and started up the stairs with a mug in his hand. "G'night." he yawned.

"Goodnight," Bugs said, craning his neck to see what was in the cup and shaking his head. "I take it you three are ready for bed?"

Yakko, sprawled across an armchair with a hardcover copy of "The Adventures of Huckleberry Hound" settled on his face, gave a thumbs up. Wakko simply nodded and made his way towards the stairs.

"Could I borrow a toothbrush? I left mine at Heather's." Wakko yawned as he trudged up the stairs.

"Sure, there should be some new ones in the cabinet over the sink. The bathroom's at the end of the hall." Bugs called out. Dot heard her brother send a muffled "thanks" from the top of the stairs and turn the corner.

"C'mon Yakko." she tugged on his arm and he reluctantly got up with a grunt. Usually, Yakko preferred to stay up much later than his siblings. Dot often found him working tirelessly at the kitchen table during her mid-night bathroom trips. She figured the peacefulness at night allowed him to concentrate on his homework, but as he put it, "the sibling-less hours at night gives him enough time to soak in the fountain of youth and temporarily wash a way his premature wrinkles and gray hairs." But he seemed to lack his usual nocturnal energy tonight.

"Here, I'll show you your rooms." Bugs motioned for them to follow him. They moved up to the second floor and halfway down the hallway before he stopped at the door next to his office. "You can have this one, Dot."

A full sized bed sat in the middle of the room. The pale peach paint soaked in the soft light from the table lamp next to the bed, which Bugs flipped on, and made the room give off a welcoming air.

"There should be some old T-shirts and stuff in that draw over there that you kids can wear," Bugs pointed to the set of draws near the closet door. "The room across the hall is your's and Wakko's." he said to Yakko.

"Thanks for letting us stay here by the way," Yakko smiled. "I hope we're not imposing or anything."

"Trust me, I'd much rather have you three around here than the barnyard trio. Their bickering gets old real quick." Bugs said as Daffy's voice erupted from outside the room and an equally perturbed Porky matched his volume shortly after.

"You got the one with the bathroom last time, pig. I think it's only fair that I get it now." Daffy said.

"N-N-Now see here. You t-t-ook it f-from me then! I-I should finish my t-turn, shouldn't I?" Porky responded. The banter continued and Bugs sighed as he turned to leave.

"See what I mean?" he shook his head. "Sleep tight." Dot ran over and hugged his legs as he was about to step over the door's threshold.

"Goodnight, Bugs!" she said and he leaned down to return the hug.

"Goodnight, kid." he said and let go as Daffy and Porky became louder. "For crying out loud, Foghorn already took that room!" he yelled as he passed Wakko on the way out of the room.

"Here's some clothes you two," Yakko handed them each an over-sized T-shirt to wear to bed. Turning away from each other so that they were facing different corners of the room, Dot took off her well-worn clothes and put on a blue T-shirt that was a more fitting tent on her than a nightgown. Yakko turned and picked her up. Placing her under the covers, he tucked the blankets under her as tight as he could and rubbed his nose against hers.

"See you tomorrow, Yakko." she smiled.

"Goodnight, little sib. Don't let the bedbugs bite!" he groggily grinned and went towards his room. Wakko filled his place a moment later and gave her a quick hug, which she happily returned.

"Goodnight." they said to each other before Wakko turned off the light and closed the door behind him. Dot snuggled into the pillows and watched as the moon's light danced across the walls in a comforting rhythm. The house had settled into a pleasant silence and Dot's eyes grew heavy. With her brothers close by and everyone safe in their rooms, the long day finally slipped into her memory as she fell into a peaceful sleep for the first time in weeks.


	11. Chapter 11

**Merry Christmas and a happy new year! Thank you for the support and remember, reviews are very much appreciated!**

* * *

"Do you think he's dead?" Wakko said from outside of Dot's bedroom door. She fluttered her eyelids against the pillow and perked up her ears.

"No, his chest is moving," Yakko said over a thump and a small groan. "See?"

Dot rolled over and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. The clock next to her bed it was 6:15 AM. She would have liked to have slept longer, but her brothers' voices drifting in from the hallway had pulled her out of her sleep.

It was unfortunate that she had become such a light sleeper over the past few weeks. Small noises had woken her throughout the night- a bird chirping outside or the house's wood settling- and her brothers' inability to whisper wasn't helping end her worry that this insomnia would extend past their first night here.

After a long moment of debating between staying under the toasty warm covers and seeing what her brothers were doing at this ungodly hour, she reluctantly got up and opened the door. All she could do was blink at the sight in front of her.

"What the- why is Daffy passed out on the floor?"

"Shh! We think he's asleep, er, hope he's asleep." Yakko said.

"What? If you aren't whispering why should I?" she said, earning an eye roll from Yakko. "Ugh, fine. Why would he fall asleep out here?" she dropped her voice.

"We don't know. I tripped over him on the way to the bathroom. It scared me so badly I almost went potty on the spot." Wakko said.

"Thanks for the picture, Wakko," Yakko said. "Help me get him into his room. I think it's that one." he nodded to the door next to the bathroom.

"Can't we just leave him here?" Dot said. He really wasn't hurting anyone by being out here. Sure, Wakko had tripped, but he was fine. In fact, Daffy looked more tranquil now than he had the entire time they've been together. He wasn't complaining for once, so why ruin such a rare occurrence when she could be snuggled up under her covers?

"No, someone else will probably trip on him and break their neck with the luck we've been having. It'll only take a sec," he picked up Daffy by his shoulders and twitched his head towards the duck's legs. "Well?"

"Why do I always have to get the legs..." Wakko muttered as he grabbed Daffy by the ankles.

"Lift him up on three. One... two... three- Umph! How many peanut butter sandwiches did he eat?" Yakko grunted.

"Enough for you to ask that question." Dot chuckled as her brothers struggled to carry Daffy down the hall.

"Can you get the door Do- Wakko, watch out!" Yakko called out.

"Wha-" Wakko backed into a small table behind him and sent a large lamp crashing to the ground. The lamp shattered and sent shards of glass skidding across the floor. Dot cringed when Yakko stepped backwards onto several large pieces of glass. He grabbed his foot with a loud yelp, letting the duck fall onto the pile of shards. Daffy's eyes shot open and he let out a scream.

"OUCH! ASSAULT! ASSAULT!"

Quicker than Dot could have imagined, Bugs and Foghorn burst into the hallway and started to run towards Daffy.

"Don't move! There's glass all over the floor!" Dot warned. They both stopped short of the sea of shards and looked up at the Warners.

"What happened? Did someone break in?" Bugs sputtered as he pulled his mallet out of his hammerspace.

"I WAS ASSAULTED!" Daffy yelled.

"By who? Whaddya mean?" Foghorn boomed. He chucked a broom and swept a path to Daffy and gently pulled him up.

"I don't know! I just woke up in a pile of glass!"

"That doesn't help, doc!"

"No one's here- it was us. It was an accident." Dot said quickly. Bugs let out a sigh and put his mallet back into his hammerspace.

"Yeah, I tripped over him on the way to the bathroom and we were trying to put him back into his room." Wakko said.

"Tripped over him?"

"He was asleep on the floor," Dot told the still slightly distraught rabbit. "Wakko knocked into that table and the lamp broke. It just went downhill from there..."

"I see," Bugs turned his attention to Daffy. "I thought I told you to lock your door when you go to bed!"

"I forgot!" Daffy said.

"Never listens, I tell you," Foghorn shook his head. "Next time you 'forget' I'll glue you down to the bed, you hear? Your sleepwalkin' has always been trouble, but this is the worst- I say- worst thing that's happened because of it yet."

"I promise I won't forget! Just get the glass out of my back." Daffy whimpered. Foghorn shook his head and helped Daffy back to his room, muttering to himself that the upcoming duck season will hopefully help him sleep through the night better.

"Are you alright Yakko? You're holding your foot kind of funny." Bugs pointed at him after Daffy's whining was muffled by his bedroom door.

"Oh I'm fine. Just got a little taste of what Daffy's feeling, is all. Why don't you go help him? He's worse off, anyway." Yakko responded.

"He's got Foghorn. Let me get the tweezers in the bathroom and I can-"

"No, it's okay. I'm fine. Really," Yakko put his foot down on the ground and through gritted teeth let out a small "See?"

"For a professional actor that was very unconvincing." Bugs said. "I'll take the glass out, okay?"

"I can do it, Bugs- really." he protested.

"Yakko, just let him do it. It'll be easier." Wakko said.

"Yeah. Please, Yakko?" Dot pleaded and pulled out the "cute" card. It wasn't as flawless as it usually was, but it still had the desired effect. Both she and Yakko knew he couldn't resist giving in to her when she made that face.

"Alright, fine. But don't expect me to clean this up after, too." Yakko muttered as he hopped on one foot into the bathroom.

"I'll be there in a minute," Bugs called to him. "Need help getting out of there, Wakko?" Wakko scratched the back of his head and searched for a way out of the labyrinth of glass. He had been lucky enough (or smart enough) to not become the third victim of the morning's events, yet was still trapped. Seeing no escape route, Wakko nodded and Bugs lifted him out as a loud clang came from the bathroom.

"AHH! Damn sink!"

"I'd better go check on your brother. Don't walk in that glass."

"Don't worry, we will!" Dot smiled.

"Very funny, doc."

Dot and Wakko followed Bugs into the bathroom to find their brother trying to stop a water fall of brown water from gurgling out of the facet. Yakko was trying to sop up pools of water with a hand towel as the sink continued to sputter; all the while hopping in place and trying to stay balanced on one foot.

"What are you doing? I told you kids yesterday a water line burst down the street and the water was brown." Bugs jumped in and struggled to yank the faucet off.

"I just thought I'd get a drink but I forgot!" Yakko said with a grunt before he and Bugs managed to turn off the water.

"There," Bugs breathed and stepped back. He closed the toilet seat cover and patted it with his hand. "Sit down and I'll get that glass out."

"I'm sure I can get it out mys-"

"Sit."

Yakko muttered something inaudibly and started to hobble over to Bugs. As he made his second bounce towards the toilet, his foot landed in a puddle of murky water that had trickled off of the marble counter top. He grabbed for the vanity but missed and continued to plunge towards the floor. Wakko went to catch him, but was beaten by Bugs when he leaped forward and grabbed Yakko by the arms.

"Uh, thanks..." Yakko said in between several unconvincing coughs.

"No problem. Now that everyone's done contributing to the aneurysm that will no doubt kill me before the day is over, can one of you two hand me the tweezers in the top draw under the sink?" Bugs said as he set Yakko down on the closed toilet seat and pulled up a stool next to him. Dot nodded and got the pair of metal tweezers for him.

"Thank you. Alright doc, this will only hurt if you make it hurt."

"What the heck does that mean?" Yakko raised an eyebrow.

"If you focus on pain, it feels worse. Just think of something else," Bugs shrugged and pulled out one of the bigger shards with a small yelp from Yakko. "See? I don't think you were thinking of something else."

"What's there to think of?" Yakko asked.

"Sunshine, lollipops, rainbows- I don't know. I can't jump inside of your head."

"But there's nothing- AHH! What was that you just yanked out, the Sword in the Stone or something?" Yakko said through gritted teeth. Bugs held up a piece of glass that was at least half the size of Dot's hand. Dot shuddered at the sight of it. Droplets of Yakko's blood ran down it and sent a chill down her spine and she suddenly didn't feel too good. Looking at Wakko, she noticed he was under a similar effect. He hated stuff like this almost as much as she did.

"Not quite. I'm surprised this even got in there," Bugs turned to grab the waste basket but stopped when his eyes fell on Wakko and Dot. "You two alright over there?"

"Yeah... fine. Just not the biggest fan of sharp things in skin and stuff." Wakko cleared his throat.

"And blood." Dot added, meekly.

"Why don't you go watch TV downstairs. It's Saturday morning so their should be some good stuff on."

"But Yakko-" Dot started before Bugs waved her off.

"Oh, he's alright. Besides, I think his pride is hurting more than his foot." Bugs let out a light chuckle when Yakko pursed his lips and crossed his arms.

"We can stay. It's not that bad." Wakko added.

"You're looking a little green, Wak. It's really okay if you two want to go downstairs," seeing his siblings' uncertain looks, Yakko continued. "Trust me, I've been in worst scrapes than this."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Dot said slowly.

"Yes, and if you don't go now I'll hobble over there and make you walk down those stairs myself," Yakko said. "I can assure you that won't be a pretty sight."

"Alright, we're going. Good luck!" Wakko led Dot out of the room.

"You can cut out the tough act now, doc." Bugs said when the light thumps of Wakko and Dot's feet treading down the stairs faded away.

"What tough act? If you haven't noticed, I'm kinda a squealer." Yakko squeaked when Bugs pulled another shard out of his foot.

"I've noticed. But you know, the whole I-don't-need-help-because-I'm-made-of-steel charade is rather unnecessary."

"What? I'm not putting on a charade. I would just rather do it myself, that's all." Yakko huffed.

"But it's a lot quicker and easier if I do it, isn't it?" Bugs said. "This way you don't have to turn into an acrobat just to see the bottom of your foot, right?"

"I guess, but this isn't the first time I've had to help myself. I could've handled it." Yakko muttered.

"I know you could've, but it's nice to let other people do things for you every now and then. Makes us feel good." Bugs placed the tweezers down on the counter and grabbed a roll of gauze from his hammerspace. Yakko sat in silence and watched the rabbit as he cleaned several of the cuts.

Yakko could've done it himself, sure. He had done everything for himself and his sibs since he was eight. He had kept his siblings together at the orphanage, despite the state wanting to separate them (Yakko was able to pull a "cute" face that could rival even Dot's when he was younger, and having two weeping sibs clinging to him sure helped his case with the state).

Despite their abysmal situation, he had kept Dot and Wakko as happy and healthy as he could. All of this he had done without the help of adults. But even he had to admit it was kind of nice to sit back and let someone else deal with his misfortunes for once.

"There. Let me patch this up and you'll be good to go," Bugs wrapped the gauze around Yakko's foot and stood up. "Is it too tight?"

"No, no. It's fine. Thanks." Bugs clapped Yakko on the shoulder and turned to the door, stopping to motion for him to follow. A loud shout and a "hang still, boy" came from the the other side of the wall.

"Why don't we go check on what those little hooligans are doing." Bugs waved off the noises.

"Which ones? My hooligans or the ones next door?" Yakko chuckled.

"I would say both but hooligan number one is currently hooligan number two's problem, and It's nice to have him off my hands for once," Bugs headed towards the stairs. "So I think we'll check on your pair." Another shout rang out from Daffy's room.

"Yeah, my pair sounds better." Yakko stepped onto the first step of the staircase. He paused when he felt a gloved hand clasp his shoulder.

"I don't mean to sound like Mr. Rogers here, but remember you don't have to be the tough guy all of the time. It's good to take a break when you can."

Yakko gave a small smile and went down the stairs. They found Wakko slumped over an armrest in a zombie-like trance with his unwavering gaze focused on the TV, while Dot sat on the couch with last month's "Toontown Telescope," or as the magazine bragged, "A toon's best source for seeing Hollywood's stars."

"I thought you outgrew that paparazzi garbage." Yakko pointed to the glossy magazine.

"I had until Wakko took the remote. You feeling better?" she said, looking up from the page she was scanning.

"Yeah, loads." Yakko said as he glanced at the "Telescope's" cover.

A picture of Goofy and his son Max was plastered across the cover. According to several glaringly neon headlines, a new movie with them starring in it was coming out soon. He sighed. It would be yet another Disney hit that Plotz would inevitably make them watch so that they "could study Disney's latest move and top what they tried to call 'comedy'."

Of course, _Animaniacs_ has a completely different approach to comedy than most of Disney's material, but Plotz's determination to come out on top of their biggest competitor at the end of each fiscal year forced them think differently for the CEO's sake. At the end of the day, Plotz couldn't tell a stick of dynamite from a banana peel when it came to comedy. But if watching a few crumby Disney toons was all it took for him lighten up on them a little, Yakko would do it with minimal complaining. Though that reminded him...

"Didn't Plotz say he was coming over tonight for dinner?" he said to Bugs.

"Shoot, I'd forgotten about that," Bugs sighed. "There's nothing here for us to even make."

"And you promised Daffy that you'd go to the store today." Dot added.

"Yeah I did... I'll go after another round of peanut butter sandwiches for breakfast. It's still early." he yawned.

"Sounds good to me." Wakko said without turning away from the glaring TV screen.

Yakko shook his head and took a seat on the couch next to Dot. He leaned back and closed his eyes, hoping to catch up on the sleep he had missed due to Daffy's unfortunate nocturnal habits, and was on the verge of falling asleep when two sets of feet pounded down the staircase.

"I guess I can give you a formal 'good morning' now that everything has calmed down." Bugs said to Daffy and Foghorn when they reached the floor.

"Good morning." Daffy murmured while rubbing his lower back and walking towards kitchen.

"How's he doing?" Bugs asked Foghorn.

"He was squakin' over nothing. Wasn't nearly as bad as he made it out to be. Only a few big pieces here and there. How are you feelin' Yakko?"

"I'm fine. Just a few scratches." he yawned, ignoring the tingling in his foot.

"Good to hear," Foghorn said, but cringed when Daffy began slamming cabinets in the kitchen. "What- I say- what in Sam's heck is he doing out there?"

"Who knows," Bugs said as he opened an old newspaper. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it'll involve him complaining."

"Why, g-good morning everyone. What are y-you all doing up so early? I t-thought I w-was the only early bird around h-here." Porky chuckled as he made his way downstairs.

"What are we doing up? You mean you didn't hear anything?" Bugs asked, astonished.

"Hear what?" Porky said as he looked around at the other expressions of disbelief staring at him.

"Daffy screaming bloody murder, glass shattering, just about any other sound you wouldn't want to hear early in the morning." Bugs said.

"Oh, no. B-but I've b-been told I'm a heavy sleeper."

"That's an understatement." Foghorn muttered and turned to the TV. Another round of clangs erupted in the kitchen and a string colorful phrases floated in through the doorway.

"Excuse me for a moment." Bugs got up and half-jogged-half-walked into the kitchen. He came back a few moments later with a perturbed duck in tow.

"Was everything alright out there?" Foghorn asked.

"He knocked over every pan I own, but other than that it's fine." Bugs said over the grandfather clock in the hallway as it chimed seven times.

"Well, there's no point in going back to bed now. Anyone up for a round of poker?" Foghorn asked and pulled a deck of cards out of his hammerspace. Wakko nearly rolled off of the couch when he whipped his head around from facing the TV to look at the rooster.

"Poker? Aren't they a little young for that?" Daffy asked.

"Nah, a kid is never too young for a good game of poker. It's the greatest- I say- greatest game ever invented, it is. Builds character and such." Foghorn boomed.

"I'll play!" Wakko said.

"See, I already have a recruit lined up. Ever play before, boy?" Foghorn asked and Wakko nodded his head. He had played with the kids at the orphanage just about every day, and was undoubtedly the best player there.

Yakko, however, frowned upon gambling in any way even if it was just old marbles back then. He had always refused to play. It wasn't fair to take the few items the kids in the orphanage had, and he had made Wakko give back whatever he had won at the end of every game. But he was growing rather bored just sitting on the couch and figured that these toons wouldn't miss what Wakko might win.

"I guess you can sign me up, colonel." Yakko shrugged.

"See, two fine recruits already. How bout' you, little lady?"

"Sure, why not?" Dot shrugged. She put the magazine down and hopped off of the couch.

"I'll pass," Bugs said. "I'm gonna go check the house out for any damage."

"I'll go with him. Maybe I'll even convince him to feed us at some point." Daffy muttered and pointed to Bugs, who rolled his eyes.

"I-I'll play." Porky stammered.

"Good! I'll go set it up in the dinning room then." Foghorn smiled and strutted out of the room. Yakko reluctantly stood up and stretched his limbs. This had to be at least mildly entertaining, right?

* * *

"Turn that hand up a bit, Dot. I can see that last card. You too, Porky." Foghorn said. Wakko rolled his eyes. This was the second time Foghorn had to tell them to hide their cards so far this game alone. Though Wakko didn't have a problem with that. Part of the reason he had won the last round was because Porky kept letting his hands slide down too low.

They had been playing on and off for three hours now, and Wakko and Foghorn had won two games a piece. They were using a barrel of old quarters Bugs had given them, and so far Wakko had a total of $20.50, while Foghorn had $20 even. The rooster was shocked to find out how good Wakko was at poker after he had easily won the first game. He assumed Foghorn was initially going easy on them, but that quickly changed during the first round when Wakko won with a full house.

Porky and Dot had been able to keep up with them somewhat after that. Wakko had taught Dot to play back at the orphanage, where she had surprisingly caught onto the game quickly, much to the dismay of Yakko. His older sib reminded him every time he sat down to play in their dorm that he'd "tainted their baby sister with the wrath of sin." Wakko figured a little fun wouldn't kill her, and he couldn't disagree that it built character. But Yakko had been completely left in the dust after the beginning of their tournament. Wakko would be surprised if Yakko could even tell a poker chip from a Pringle at this point.

"So I have a pair of kings. Does that mean I win?" Yakko had said at the start of the second game. He spent most of the first watching Foghorn to learn how to play.

"No- you weren't listening to what I said, were you? You can't win on the first hand and don't play the hand you just got dealt." Foghorn sighed.

"Okay, okay. But I have a three I don't want, so can I draw from the pile?" Yakko said, scratching his head.

"Does this look like 'Go Fish' to you?" Foghorn asked, dumbstruck.

"No."

"Good, at least you're paying that much attention. Now if you had been listening you'd have heard me say you need to wait. And don't- I say- don't say what you have. You're askin' to lose if you do that."

Yet he seemed to get worse with each game. Wakko felt pretty bad for Yakko, who had become so frustrated with the rules and Foghorn's constant yelling that he quit an hour ago, but was also a bit pleased that he could do something his big brother couldn't. Now he was only a hand away from winning the championship of Foghorn's makeshift tournament, since Dot and Porky had already folded.

"Alright boy. Try- I say- try to beat this," Foghorn said with a smug grin as he placed his hand on the table. "Straight flush."

"That is impressive, but..." Wakko laid out his cards and Foghorn's triumphant beam faded instantly. "I do believe a royal flush beats that." he grinned. Dot, Yakko, and Porky began to cheer as Wakko raked in the remaining quarters with his arms.

"Why I'll be... That was one of the finest games of poker I've played yet, son!" Foghorn conceded. "You ever play blackjack?"

"No." Wakko said.

"Then I'll have to show you it sometime. There's a whole other mess of games out there that I'm sure you could beat me at some day, too. You know, after a lot of practice." Foghorn clapped Wakko on the back.

"What's all the fuss about?" Daffy said from the doorway. He and Bugs came into the room and sat down at the table.

"W-Wakko beat Foghorn at a poker tournament!" Porky squealed.

"What? That hasn't happened since Sam played you in 75'," Bugs said. "Nice job, kid." Wakko's beam grew even bigger at this, and he and Dot started counting his total winnings.

"How did the house check out?" Foghorn asked Bugs.

"Overall it's fine. There's a few hairline cracks in the foundation and some shingles are missing from the roof, and the pool needs to be cleaned and maybe re-tiled, but everything else seems okay. Though I did find a-" Bugs was interrupted by his phone ringing. He sighed when he looked down at the name and reluctantly answered the call.

"Hi Plotz. No, I didn't forget that you were coming over for dinner today... I- yes, we're doing fine... Okay. See you then." Bugs hung up the phone and rubbed a hand over his ears.

"Did he say when he's coming?" Daffy asked.

"Five. He said he couldn't stay too long, which I guess works out in our favor," Bugs said. "Though that probably means I should go to the store now."

"I-I'll go with you, B-Bugs. Maybe we can m-m-make a nice r-roast for tonight." Porky said.

"Like they're gonna have roasts in stock... and isn't that sacralgeous for you to suggest that?" Daffy muttered.

"I d-didn't mean a-a-a ham!" Porky quickly sputtered.

"Or a chicken, I hope." Foghorn added.

"Regardless of what it is we'll be back in a bit." Bugs said before turning to leave with Porky. "Though you can probably count on duck!" he called out before the door shut with a loud slam. Daffy muttered something about what was in a meat lovers carrot cake and Foghorn laughed. Wakko hugged his winnings and looked at the others with a smug grin.

"Anyone up for another round of poker?"

"Eh, why not." Foghorn picked up the deck of cards and began shuffling them.

* * *

"Daffy, can you please set the table? I've been asking you for twenty minutes and Plotz will be here any second." Bugs said with crossed arms as he stood behind the love seat. Daffy, Foghorn, Yakko, Wakko, and Dot were sprawled out in various spots around the living room, and a comfortable silence, with the exception of the clangs and bangs from Bugs and the occasional shriek from Porky in the kitchen, filled the room.

"Fine. But remember that I am the guest. Think of this as a favor."

"Sure, sure. Just get the silverware." Bugs nudged Daffy off of the love seat and pushed past him to turn off a timer in the kitchen.

Dot looked back down at the crayons and coloring book on the glass coffee table and began filling in the petals of a rose with a light pink. She had volunteered to help out earlier but Bugs had guaranteed her that he and Porky could handle dinner.

But as the clock hands inched closer to five o'clock, she could tell Plotz's arrival was beginning to wear on the rabbit's usually easy going mood. The carrots had boiled on the stove for too long and had turned to mush, and the fire alarms had beeped for twenty minutes straight before they managed to turn them off. Dot could only imagine what little thing what be the final blow in setting off the rabbit.

She had just moved onto the seventh page of the coloring book when the doorbell rang. Bugs practically sprinted down the front hall to answer it, and Daffy's table setting speed became five times faster than the pace he had initially been going at.

Dot looked through the living room's glass french doors to see Bugs take off the apron he had been wearing and toss it into his hammerspace before opening the door for a short, balding man in a jet black suit with a red tie pulled tightly around his pudgy neck.

"Hey, Plotz. C'mon in." Bugs said, shaking the CEO's hand and taking his coat. The strained tone that he'd had only minutes before was replaced by the smooth calmness that usually occupied his voice.

"Bugs. Hope you're well." the CEO nodded curtly as he looked around the foyer.

"I'm doing fine. Dinner's just about ready if you want to come in the dining room." Bugs said and motioned for Dot and the others to come to the table.

Closing her coloring book, Dot stood up and shared a look with her brothers. They had decided earlier that it would be best to not annoy Plotz tonight. Although they didn't antagonize the CEO nearly as much off-screen as they did on, it was a known fact on the lot that the Warners were the first to put Plotz back in his place with their antics whenever he crossed a line.

"Yakko, Wakko, Dot."

"Hi, Mr. Plotz." they said in unison. Plotz gave them a small snarl and turned to greet Porky, Daffy, and Foghorn. He hated it when they did that. Although they had promised not to mess with him, they couldn't resist getting one little jab in before the night was over. It simply wouldn't be a Plotz-Warner "get together" if he wasn't at least slightly annoyed at some point.

"I-I think the roast is ready. Bugs and I m-m-managed to track one d-down this afternoon. Strictly beef, o-o-of course." Porky said as he made his way to the kitchen. He was back with the meat in hand a few moments later and set the platter down around the side dishes and tableware. Dot sat down next to her brothers as Plotz fittingly took a seat at the head of the table. He cleared his throat and began to speak when the food was began to pass around.

"Now, I don't want to waste any of your time-"

"Too late for that." Yakko whispered so that only Dot and Wakko could hear.

"-so why don't we jump right into business," Plotz took a sip of water before continuing. "The studio has been trying to locate it's stars and employees after the earthquake, and so far we haven't been as successful as we had hoped in contacting them all. The assistants are useless and most of the other executives are out of the country or not in the area at the moment. We've sent out multiple statements to the media, but only a handful of people have responded.

"At this point, we thought we might get more responses from the public, the stars, and studio workers themselves if a more recognizable, relatable face was asking for help. I know it's a long-shot, but they trust you and are more likely to listen to you asking for help than me. So, I came here to ask if one of you would one of you be willing to volunteer as a spokesperson of sorts until we can get in touch with more people."

"I'm flattered you'd ask us for help, but it's been a rather, er, hectic couple of weeks and I think I just need to slow down for a little bit." Bugs said.

"Me too, Mr. Plotz." Foghorn agreed.

"Same here." Daffy chimed in. After a few seconds of silence, Porky spoke up.

"I-I'd be happy to help, Mr. Plotz."

"Are you sure, Porky?" Daffy asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"Yeah. T-The studio's done a lot for me, so I don't mind h-helping out. B-Besides, I'm sure a lot of our f-f-friends are among the ones who h-haven't r-responded yet."

"Thank you, Porky. Would you mind leaving with me tonight?" Plotz said.

"N-Not at all."

"Good. Now, I have a few more matters to attend to before we're done here," Plotz pulled a neatly folded piece of paper out of his pocket and set it on the table. "Bugs, I'm assuming you heard the news out of Clampett."

"Yeah, I did. What about it?" Bugs said wearily.

"Well, I wanted to set up some safety precautions until the situation is under control. I made a list of guidelines to keep you safe until he gets caught, and Disney's done the same for Mickey."

"Until who gets caught?" Wakko asked. Bugs glanced at him before shooting a look at Plotz.

"Look, this really isn't dinner conversation, doc. I'd rather we discuss it in my office after we're done eating."

"I can't stay much longer as it is. I have a meeting across town in an hour and the traffic is horrible. It has to be now." Plotz demanded.

"Not in front of the kids, okay? There's no need to worry them over nothing." Bugs said. Dot could see that Bugs was becoming increasingly agitated.

"But this isn't nothing, Bugs! Bosko almost killed you last time he was on the streets, and if Daffy and Foghorn hadn't pulled him off of you at the last second, you would have been dead. I'm sure he's going to want to finish what he started."

Dot gulped. She didn't know that this Bosko guy had tried to kill Bugs and, even worse, had almost succeeded. Trying to seem unaffected by this new bit of information, Dot watched Bugs take a deep breath before responding.

"There's no use in worrying them over it, though." Bugs nodded towards Yakko, Wakko, and Dot.

"Oh, but there is!" Plotz pulled one of the Toontown newspapers out of his pocket and waved it in the air. "Look at this on the front page, 'Eyewitnesses say Dot Warner is traveling with Bugs Bunny and other _Looney Tunes_ cast members in the wake of Bosko and Oswald's breaking out of Clampett. Sources say that they were last seen on the border of Toontown and Burbank.'" he put the paper back in his pocket. "Bosko must know by now that she's with you, and he'll target her just as much as Foghorn and Daffy if it means it'll get to you."

Dot felt Wakko grab her hand and squeeze it. She saw that the pale mask that had washed over his face in the bathroom that morning had come back with even more ferocity than it had earlier. Turning to her other brother, she noticed that a similar effect had come over him, as well.

"He probably doesn't know that Yakko and Wakko are with you, but they'll end up in the same situation as Dot if they stay here much longer." Plotz continued.

"What are you trying to say?" Foghorn said with crossed arms. Plotz let out a huff before continuing.

"I'm trying to say that the Warners would be safer if they were under the watch of the studio, and that I plan on taking them with me tonight."

"You can't do that!" Bugs leaned forward.

"Oh yes I can. They're orphans under the studio's care, and since I'm a CEO, they're directly under my care," Plotz's voice rose at the fuming rabbit. "Therefore, I ultimately have the final say as to what happens to them in a situation like this. I intend on bringing them back with me and lodging them in a hotel- with ample security, mind you- until Bosko is caught. I need them where the studio can keep an eye on them and put all this publicity to rest. Besides, we need you three to start shooting the next season of _Animaniacs_."

"What? Our contract says that I have final say over what happens to Wakko, Dot, and I." Yakko yelled out.

"Oh it does say that, but it also says that the studio can override your decision involving any potentially dangerous or life-threatening situations if we disagree with you until you're 18, Yakko. And the last time I checked, you're still a minor." Plotz said. Yakko slumped back in his seat and took a hold of Dot's other hand. She sighed. Plotz was right. Yakko couldn't get them out of this.

"But you don't even like us!" Wakko called out with a hint of desperation scratching at his voice.

"No, and I know the feeling is mutual. But as CEO I have to protect the assets of the studio, and that includes you three." Plotz said, sounding more annoyed than agitated.

"It wouldn't make sense to separate them from us now. If anything, they're safer here with us." Bugs said. Plotz cocked an eyebrow.

"Oh really? How's that?"

"I have a security system that has proven to be more effective than some crumby hotel, and I have proof that it's able to keep out any toon or human that I don't want coming in. Not to mention, Foghorn, Daffy, and I have more toon abilities in our pinkie fingers than you could dream of having in your whole body, and we've managed to hold Bosko off before. What makes you think we couldn't now?"

"Burbank's practically in ruins, which means the law has more to worry about than protecting some stubborn old rabbit. They can't come to your aid as quickly as you'd like if he did break in," Plotz took another sip of water. "For the last time, the Warners are coming with me!" Bugs stared at Plotz before finally sighing and sitting back in his chair.

"Alright, then. I quit."

Everyone, even Plotz, widened their eyes at Bugs's statement. Dot was shocked that Bugs, one of the biggest toons in history, was willing to give up his guaranteed-for-life job at Warner Brothers- a deal that is practically impossible to get in the cartoon industry- for the sake of her and her brothers. Was he serious?

"Wh-what? Bugs, let's be rational here! I know you're probably having fun playing daddy and all, but this is your life's work we're talking about! You can't just throw out your priorities over some kids!"

"Tell us how you really feel..." Yakko muttered.

"I'm not throwing out my priorities, doc! Right now, my priority is to make sure these kids don't get hurt by that twisted bastard. You don't know how he thinks- what he's capable of doing. But I do, and it only makes sense for me to watch out for them. In fact, I'm rather convinced that you just can't see past the money we make you at this point. You wouldn't give two pennies about us if it weren't for our fame, so stop thinking with your wallet and use your head for once." Bugs finished.

"Fine, have it your way Bugs. But don't come crying to me when Bosko gets to them," Plotz got up and shoved his chair into the table. "Meet me in the car, Porky!" With that, Plotz slammed the door behind him.

"Well, I guess I should get g-g-going." Porky stammered nervously as he got up to follow Plotz.

"Good luck sniffing for truffles with Plotz." Daffy halfheartedly joked and patted Porky on the back.

"Yeah, I hope he doesn't work you to hard," said Foghorn. "Let us know if you find anyone."

"I w-will. See you later, Bugs."

"Bye, Porky." Bugs said from the table. He hadn't moved an inch since Plotz had stormed out of the house.

Porky waved to Dot and her brothers before closing the door behind him. She suddenly felt very tired, and wanted nothing more than to get away from the dining room. Wringing her hands, she spoke up in the uncomfortable silence that was making the room suffocating to be in.

"I'm gonna go to bed."

"It's still early, Dot. Do you feel okay?" Yakko asked and took off one of his gloves to feel her forehead.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired." she said and leaned away from him.

"I'll come tuck you in-" Yakko said.

"No, it's okay. You don't have to- I'm fine. Really." she turned towards the stairs after seeing her brothers' concerned looks.

"Are you sure? You always get tucked in." Wakko asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. G'night." she said without turning around. She thought she heard Yakko start to follow her, but he wasn't behind her when she reached her room.

She closed door and got into bed without changing her clothes or pulling the covers up to her chin, which she did every night. She was just too shocked and upset to. Bugs had told her that Bosko was a bad guy and all, but an almost murderer? How could anyone want to kill Bugs- one of the sweetest and most talented toons out there? Maybe that's why, she thought. His talent. Maybe Bosko was jealous?

But the thought of one toon trying to kill another over fame was terrifying to her. What if someone tried to kill her for those reasons some day, or what if someone actually succeeded in killing her? Or maybe Bugs did something so horrible to Bosko that it drove him to do what he did. That thought was more unnerving to Dot. Was the caring and witty rabbit she knew just an act?

Regardless of why Bosko tried to kill Bugs, Dot knew one thing for sure. She and her brothers were at a direct risk because of it. Overwhelmed and not knowing what else to do, Dot let out the quietest sobs she could manage. Yet they were still loud enough to mask the sound of someone opening and closing her door and coming up to her bed.

"You okay, doc?" Bugs said as he sat down on the edge of her bed and placed a hand on her back. She lifted her head up and tried to give a convincing nod. "Sure about that?" he asked quietly. Sensing there was no way to hide what she was feeling at this point, Dot shook her head and began crying even harder. Bugs pulled her up and wrapped her in a tight hug.

"I'm s-sorry." she hiccuped.

"Don't worry about it, Dot. Even I cry when I feel like I need to." he said softly. She rested her head against his chest and tried to slow her breathing and ignore the uncomfortable thoughts prodding at her mind. After calming down a bit, Dot spoke up in a scratchy voice.

"Did he r-really try t-to kill you?"

"Yes, but he didn't succeed, now did he?"

"N-No, but why d-did he try?" Bugs sighed and rubbed small circles on her back.

"Because he was jealous and bitter that he wasn't the hottest thing in the cartoon industry anymore. But don't let him scare you, hun. He can't touch you- or any of us for that matter- so long as I'm here, okay? And don't you ever think otherwise. He's just some wash-up who will end up back in jail soon enough. I promise everything will be alright once we get through this," he shifted her back slightly and tipped her chin up. "Do you believe me?"

"Yeah."

And she did. She decided that she wasn't going to let some freak tear her apart like this, and she trusted Bugs to keep him from doing this to her again. What else could she do? They stayed in the hug for a few more minutes without moving. Dot stopped crying and only sniffled every now and then, letting the soothing rhythm of her breaths edge out the tenseness in her chest.

"Bugs?" she said after a moment.

"Yeah?"

"Was Plotz right when he said you like 'playing daddy?'"

"You know, I guess he was. Though that was the only thing he got right, that's for sure," he lightly poked her in the side.

"I figured," she giggled. "But why?"

"It's nice having you tykes around here," he squeezed her against him. "Makes this big house feel not so big anymore."


	12. Chapter 12

Wakko slumped over as he padded up each step slowly. He was simply worn out from the day's events. From the fiasco they had faced early that morning to the overwhelming air Plotz's visit had clouded the house and its occupants with, Wakko just wanted to go to bed and escape the bad feelings festering inside of him.

He looked down at Yakko. His brother was sitting at the dinning room table and waved to him that he'd "be up in a sec." Yakko had been sitting in that seat since Bugs upstairs trudged upstairs fifteen minutes ago. He could tell he had been hurt when Dot insisted that she didn't need to be tucked in, since it has been routine for him to do so for as long as Wakko could remember, and noticed that he had sunk down in his seat even further when Bugs insisted he'd check on her.

But that wasn't the only thing troubling his brother. Heck, it wasn't the only thing bothering himself, either. He reached the top of the stairs and headed for his room, but stopped when Bugs quietly clicked the door to Dot's room shut and smiled at him.

"Hey, doc. You turning in early, too?"

"I guess. Is Dot okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine. Just fell asleep in fact," Bugs said. "How are you doing?" Wakko looked down at his hands and picked at his gloves.

"Fine. Just a little tired."

"I think we all are after today," Bugs, seeing Wakko become more downtrodden, sat down on the small couch against the wall and patted the cushion next to him. Wakko pulled himself up onto the seat and looked at the rabbit, not knowing what to expect. He really didn't want to talk about what had happened- especially with someone he hardly knew. Bugs had done a lot for them, he didn't deny that, but he usually left dissecting his feelings to Yakko and Dot.

"Look doc, I just gave this spiel to your sister but it's important you hear it, too. I'm sure what happened at dinner must have freaked you out a bit, and I'll admit that the whole situation is wearing on me too, but I promise everything's gonna be okay. Bosko's a pretty messed up toon, but he's not gonna get to us." Wakko nodded before looking back down at his hands.

"You don't seemed too convinced." Bugs said.

"I don't know. I guess not," Wakko sighed. "Things haven't really been going our way lately."

"What do you mean? You're all safe and you got your sister back. I'd say that you three got out of this pretty unscathed compared to a lot of people."

"Yeah, but it's not that simple," Wakko said. "It's a long story..." he added when Bugs cocked an eyebrow at him.

"I'm all ears, you know." Bugs gave a small smile and tugged on one of his ears.

"I've noticed," he paused. Bugs did seem to care about what he had to say and, since both siblings seemed a little out of it at the moment, it couldn't hurt say some of what was on his mind. Yakko always said bottling everything up did more harm than good, and maybe it could help Bugs fix the rut they were in. "Well, me and Yakko sorta got chased on the way to the bus station before we found you."

"What? By who?"

"We were at this convenient store in Toontown and the cashier chased after us when he saw Yakko's name on his credit card. Our cousin found us and said that he was a part of some guy's gang, and I think the toons that chased us to the bus were apart of it, too."

"What was his name?" Bugs asked.

"I don't know. I just remember Heather saying he was some creep who killed our grandfather awhile back. It was all really messed up." Wakko shrugged.

"I'd say..." Bugs muttered. He looked like he was about to say something else but seemed to decide against it. Wakko heard someone come up the stairs and looked to see a still slightly discouraged Yakko shuffling towards them. He perked up a bit at seeing Wakko, but still lacked the spring in his step that usually came off with his easy-going and energetic demeanor.

"Hey, Yakko." Bugs said.

"Hey. See you in the morning." Yakko said before going into their room.

"Well, I guess that's our signal to hit the hay. See you tomorrow, kid." Bugs patted his shoulder and retreated into his own room. Wakko got up and opened their bedroom door to find his brother laying on his bed and staring at the ceiling.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Nothing," Yakko looked over at him. "What were you and Bugs just talking about?"

"He wanted to see how I was doing after he finished talking to Dot."

"What'd he say about her?"

"She's fine."

"What about you?"

"Fine," Wakko sat on his bed and stared at his brother. He saw that Yakko still wore a reserved look and it was starting to bother him at this point. "Though you don't seem too great."

"Well I don't know, Wak. Everything's so messed up right now," Yakko sat up. "I mean, that Bosko guy's after our heads, Dot's freaked out, and a rabbit is trying to take charge of our 'herd'."

"I wouldn't say that he is. Not really." Wakko said.

"No? He's been picking at our feelings and stuff since we got here, and all of a sudden he thinks that he needs to be there for you and Dot instead of me."

"Yakko, he's not trying to replace you-"

"I know, but I'm worried about her. Why wouldn't she talk to me about what was wrong like she always has?"

"She's just upset. We were all pretty upset and-"

"But she always talks to me or you about things like this!"

"Yakko, quiet down or you'll wake Dot up!" Wakko walked over and sat down next to his brother, shifting uncomfortably on the bed. "I guess the whole thing is a little weird, but Bugs is just trying to help her."

"I know, but she has us. I would think that her own brothers are good enough." Yakko muttered.

"We are good enough, but it's probably good that she has someone else to go to. It's nothing against us." he watched on as Yakko pursed his lips and picked at his gloves. It was one of the few quirks they shared, and it showed especially when they were nervous or uncomfortable. Mom always said they'd end up picking holes in their gloves some day, and he was pretty sure either he or Yakko would need a new pair by the end of this week alone.

"I guess your right. Sorry for freaking out a bit there."

"It's fine." Wakko yawned. Yakko looked up at the clock on the wall.

"It's getting pretty late. I think I'm gonna go to sleep."

"Me too. G'night." Wakko nodded. He layed down on his bed and turned off the lamp.

"Goodnight." Yakko rolled over and shifted his gaze towards the wall.

Yakko's mind was moving in a thousand directions and he couldn't fall asleep. For once, Wakko was being the rational one and he was overreacting. His brother was right. Beyond them, Dot never had the support system he grew up with and it was good that she was meeting new people. He really didn't mind that it was Bugs she was going to in particular. The rabbit seemed to care about her and was doing his best to help them, and he seemed to care about him and Wakko, too. He was just sad that he wasn't the only person anymore (minus Wakko, of course) that Dot could turn to when she was faced with something, as it was yet another reminder that she was growing up.

He knew that more people would enter her life as she got older, and while he wanted her to make as many friendships as she could, it still meant that she would become less of his and Wakko's as the years went on. Of course she would always be their baby sister, but he knew things changed with age. Heck, nothing had ever stayed the same for him.

It seemed like his life had become progressively harder for him with each of his birthdays, and had only gotten better after they landed their contract with Warner Brothers.

His Aunt had died shortly before his fourth birthday, and his Grandmother had died a month or two before his eight. His worst birthday was undoubtedly his ninth. A few days after his birthday, their parents had gone out on their first date night after Dot had been born. They had hired a sitter for the evening, yet still called the house every 20 minutes or so to check on the three of them. He had said goodnight to them the last time they called before leaving the restaurant, and wouldn't know that they were hit by a drunk driver on their way home until the next morning.

He could still remember every detail on the face of the officer who told him about the accident. But even worse, he could remember every horrible tear and sob that came from Wakko when the officer told them their parents weren't coming back.

No kid should ever have to lose one parent, but to lose two was beyond devastating. Wakko remembered some things about them, but Dot had no idea what they even looked like other than the pictures she had seen of them. She could pick out their faces, sure, but she'd never know how far Dad's smile could spread across his face or how beautiful Mom's eyes were when they shimmered. No, all she knew was that horrible woman at that horrible orphanage.

As much as he hated to admit it, the state had to send them to an orphanage. All of their relatives were dead or in jail, and they would have been on the street if they hadn't gone to live at the Pleasant Street Orphanage in Toontown.

Sometimes he wondered if street life would have been a better option. Everything about that place was awful. The food was awful. The people who worked there were awful. The conditions overall were awful. Not to mention, the state almost succeeded in separating them multiple times.

The only happy times he could recall were the field trips they went on with a charity called "Happy Hearts," when they and the other orphans would go on a day trip every month. It was the only time he was able to escape the drabness of the orphanage. As it turned out, these trips would even be the ticket out of their misery altogether.

The monkey exhibit had always been the most exciting part of the orphans' trip whenever they went to the Los Angeles Zoo. Although Yakko had always preferred the bird exhibit, the monkeys would go on to become his favorite after the day Wakko decided to go against multiple signs' warnings (and Yakko's constant threats) to not antagonize the animals.

"Wakko, don't get too close. I'm not jumping in to grab you if a monkey pulls you in there." a ten year old Yakko told Wakko, who was bouncing on his tail so much that it was almost too dizzying to watch. Ignoring him, Wakko bounced closer and waved at one of the monkeys behind the rope barrier.

Yakko shook his head and moved towards the enclosure with Dot clinging tightly to his hand. If one Warner was going to get abducted by monkeys, the rest might as well join him.

"Look! That one has a banana!" Dot tugged at his shirt and pointed. Wakko continued to bounce in front of them like he did every other time they visited the monkeys. Yakko suppressed a laugh when one of Wakko's friends, a duck named Tuggy, landed flat out on his tail feathers after trying to mimic his excited movements.

Wakko seemed to feel bad that his friend couldn't keep up and stopped bouncing to help Tuggy up. More people crowded into the exhibit, and Wakko was elbow to elbow with many of the other kids from the orphanage. But that did nothing to discourage him from making the best use of his time with the monkeys.

His smile widened when one of the larger monkeys moved closer to the edge of the enclosure and started licking himself and picking bugs out of his fur. Wakko mimicked the monkey's stance and began copying it's movements so perfectly that several of the people and toons around him turned their attention away from the animals and onto him.

Yakko chuckled when the monkey stopped mid-lick to watch Wakko, who immediately did the same back. The monkey started bouncing around and making noises, which Wakko almost flawlessly mirrored back. More people stopped to stare at the scene, and Dot, who Yakko noticed was laughing harder than she had in weeks, let go of his hand and joined Wakko. Although she was not as perfectly in tune with the movements as Wakko was, Dot was still keeping up very well for a four year old. Shrugging his shoulders, Yakko stepped up next to his sibs and joined in on their fun.

Soon, a small crowd gathered around them and watched on as they moved practically in sync with the monkeys. They had apparently been more entertaining for the visitors to watch, since the crowd continued to look on and roar with laughter as they bounced around even after the monkeys had moved to the other side of their cage.

After they finished their "act" with a grand finale of Yakko chucking bananas and throwing them into the crowd, the Warners sat down on a bench next to the enclosure and dove into a bag of peanuts Yakko had bought with the meager spending money they were given for the day. He gulped down several peanuts to help satisfy the loud gurgling in his stomach, as show business was strenuous, after all.

"Save some for the rest of us, Wak." Yakko chided when Wakko took giant handful after giant handful of peanuts. His brother had a large appetite for a seven year old, and he sure as heck wasn't about to suffer because of it. While Yakko always made sure his sibs had enough to eat plus a little extra, he liked to enjoy a treat every now and then, too.

Just as he was about to shove his hand inside the bag, and tall man in Bermuda shorts and a white polo t-shirt approached them. A blonde haired woman and two equally sandy haired girls stood behind him.

"I know I'm not supposed to work on one of my rare days off, but I couldn't help but notice you three over by the monkey cage," he said with a smile. "Hi, I'm Eric Johnson, a producer at Warner Brothers Studios."

"But we're the Warner brothers!" a confused Wakko said through a mouthful of peanuts.

"And the Warner sister!" Dot added in an indignant tone. Yakko shook his head at his siblings.

Although he had seen many Warner Bros. movies when he was younger, Wakko was always too antsy to sit through their movie nights past the five minute mark and Dot was too young to remember. They rarely watched TV at the orphanage, let alone movies, and Yakko thought that although it was a bit sad they didn't know about one of the biggest studios in the industry, their reaction to meeting a Hollywood big shot was slightly amusing.

"Sorry, they're not very big movie goers," Yakko said. "I'm Yakko Warner, and these are my sibs, Wakko and Dot." Wakko gave him a little wave and Dot shot him a small smile.

"It's okay, we might be able to use that bit later... and I like the names. Very fitting," Eric chuckled. "Anyway, you three did a pretty good job at showing up those monkeys. I haven't seen talent like that in toons your age in a while."

"Thanks, it was nothing really." Yakko smiled. He wasn't one to brag, but even he had to admit that the Warners had some of the most impressive- if not the best- toon talents in the orphanage.

"I'd love to set up an audition for you three to see what else you can do. Where are your parents so I can give them my card?" Eric asked, ignoring the impatient tapping of his wife's foot behind him.

"Our parents are- um, we're on a field trip with our orphanage." Yakko said uncomfortably as the grins on his sibling's faces faded.

"Oh- well, I'm sorry. Is there anyone else I could talk to?" Eric said, scratching the back of his head.

"Sure, one of the ladies that takes care of us is over there," Yakko pointed at a large hippo and got down from the bench, his brother and sister following suit. "We'll take you to meet her."

If anyone had told Yakko that he and his siblings would ever be something other than miserable dishwashers in the orphanage's bleak kitchen, he'd have told them that one too many screws were loose in their head.. But to his astonishment, the state let the Warners sign on with Warner Brothers without putting up any fight. As that woman put it, letting the studio take them would "free up three more beds for other brats" and before Yakko knew it, he and his sibs had contracts with one of the biggest studios in Hollywood.

They were finally able to leave their own little slice of hell in the past.

Rubbing his eyes as the memory fizzled into the back of his mind, Yakko sat up and went over to the mahogany bookcase in the corner of the room. Figuring that his insomnia had already set in for the night, he picked up a book and settled back down on his bed. As the night drawled on, Yakko buried any lingering thoughts in the back of his mind and poured over the pages of the book until the sun's rays trickled in through the window.

* * *

"Pass the salt, Oswald." Bosko muttered and took a bite out of his soggy tuna sandwich. He watched as another group of toons walked into the "cafeteria," which was really just a room with a few tables and a fridge, and looked back down at the beans on his plate.

"You're gonna go into cardiac arrest or something if you put anymore salt on those fries." Oswald said.

"If you could even call these fries... the salt is the only thing that makes them edible."

"Hey, it still beats the crap at Clampett," Oswald said, staring at the toons who has just sat down at the next table. "Look's like Smokey just reaped in another crop of recruits."

Bosko looked over and watched on as they horsed around. One was nudging the toon next to him with his elbow while another was holding a hat out of the shortest toon's reach, and they were all laughing and smiling. Bosko was surprised to see how young they looked compared to the gruff toons around them.

"Could those kids be any louder?" he huffed.

"Leave 'em alone, Bosko. They're new."

"Yeah, and all the new guys are acting like this- they don't care. The recruits Smokey's bringing in here are getting younger and younger, and stupider and stupider. If we don't teach them how to act, things won't end well."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean if they don't get their act together, they'll screw up a job or something and we could lose our heads because of it. I don't want to get in trouble because some moron kid isn't taking shit seriously." Bosko said.

"Ahh. For a second there I thought you actually wanted to help them, but that would be very uncharacteristic of you," Oswald chuckled. "Wait, turn around. Gonzo just came in and it looks like he's looking for something. Knowing our luck, it's us."

"You don't know that. It could be the idiots next to us." Bosko muttered.

"Nah, he's after us. He's always after us," Oswald rubbed a hand over his face as Gonzo walked closer to where they were sitting. "You know, all I ask for is one day off- just one."

"Hey, boys." Gonzo said as he stopped next to the table.

"Gonzo." They nodded. The boys next to them grew louder and rowdier and a piece of bread flew went flying from one of their hands, hitting Bosko in the back of the head. He shot up and glared at them.

"Hey! Did you throw this at me?" he yelled. The toons stopped and looked up at him.

"Yeah, but I wasn't aiming at you. You just got in my way." one of the boys chuckled.

"Got in your way? I'm all the way over here, kid."

"Kid? I ain't no kid! I-"

"All right, both of you can it. Just sit down at your own tables and stop throwing food," Gonzo stared down the boys. "or you can get the hell out of here and go back on the streets. Your choice," The boys immediately sat down and began eating in a much quieter huddle. "You gonna thank me?" Gonzo shot a false smile at Bosko.

"Hmph."

"Whatever. Now you've met some of the new recruits, at least."

"Yeah, though I'm getting sick of them. It's like these idiots are multiplying every day. " Oswald said.

"That's too bad for you then, 'cause I just picked up another batch this morning. I'm pretty sure those kids were in it, too." Gonzo said.

"Who were they working for before?" Oswald asked.

"No one. They volunteered to join. We picked them up downtown after a raid."

"We found a few after getting the rest of Fat Tony's boys the other day. What Smokey's doing seems to be working, 'cause a ton of people are joining without even being a part of gangs or anything." Oswald said.

"Well, word's getting around fast. Most of the toons walking in here really believe in what Smokey's saying. They really think he can change Toontown." Gonzo said.

"Don't you?" Bosko sneered.

"Of course I do! Why do you think I have invested so much in this guy? He's the only toon who's trying to give us little toons a chance, you know? Most of Toontown hasn't worked in cartoons since the 50s or never got in them to begin with, and that shows around here. If you're not a big shot or haven't had a gig in years, you're nothing more than dirt under those stars' feet, and I'm damn well tired of it. Smokey's our only chance at getting us an equal shot in Toontown."

"You're not the only one thinking like that. The past few announcements Smokey's made on the radio have gotten a lot of attention. Who knew he had enough power to interrupt radio broadcasts and tell people about his plans, and who knew they would all listen." Oswald said.

"Word's been getting out around town besides the radio broadcasts. I'm surprised the press hasn't covered more of him. Some stuff's in the paper, but not as much as I would have thought." Bosko said.

He was shocked by how quickly Smokey's influence had spread throughout Toontown. It had only been a few days since their last meeting and already they had captured a half a dozen mob bosses and destroyed the empires they had carefully built over the years. Not to mention, hundreds of supporters had come to join Smokey, and most of the toons from other gangs had come over to their side completely willingly. Their movement was no longer just a good idea. It was turning into action, and that excited Bosko.

"Crap, there's Fritz." Gonzo groaned.

"What's so bad about him?" Oswald asked.

"Smokey usually sends him to find me when he wants me for something. But I just wanted a few minutes or so to myself... I've been going since sunrise."

"We all do, but vacation days apparently aren't a thing around here." Oswald said as Fritz came up to the table. "If we weren't escaped convicts I'd be making a few calls to fix that." he chuckled.

"Hey Gonzo, the boss-"

"-wants me, yeah, yeah. I figured." Gonzo finished.

"He's with a bunch of recruits Tango just brought in. And he said he wanted to see you two." Fritz nodded to Bosko and Oswald.

"Well, there goes the rest of our day off." Oswald sighed. They got up and followed Fritz out of the room. After moving through a string of hallways, Fritz stopped to fish through his hammerspace in front of the large doors that opened to the room with the ink.

Bosko got a little queasy thinking of the room as he stood there. Smokey hadn't inked too many people since Mugsy and Rocky arrived, yet the smell of it still stayed with him. But business was business, and Smokey sure as hell knew what he was doing.

"What's taking so long, Fritz? Smokey never lets new recruits in there." Gonzo gestured to the ink room.

"I forgot he wanted me to give you something... I think it's- here it is," the rat pulled a manila folder out of his hammerspace and handed it to Gonzo. "It's some files he wanted you to look over."

"Alright, can we get going now?" Bosko said testily.

"Sure, sure. The recruits are down here." Fritz said, pointing at the door down the hall.

"We know where the recruiting room is, dumbass." Gonzo muttered just loud enough for Fritz to hear it. The rat turned and scowled at him, but didn't respond and kept walking.

He held open the door for them and closed it just at the right moment for the heavy slabs of metal to get caught on Gonzo's tail, who had been the last one to enter. A long trail of swears came from Gonzo as he yanked his tail out from between the doors, and Bosko had to bite down on his tongue to keep from laughing. The fox was already mad at him, and there really was no point in fueling his anger right now. He could save the jokes for later as Smokey would surely want to get to business right away.

"There they are," Smokey greeted them. He stood in front of a large group of toons, who mostly wore ragged or dirty clothing, and jerked his head for them to join him. "Everyone, this is Gonzo. I'm sure you know who these two are." he gestured to them. Bosko nodded at the toons before Smokey started talking again.

"Now that introductions have been made, let's discuss a few things," Smokey continued. "I'm sure a lot of you haven't led an easy life by any means, and for those of you who have had some 'luck,' as you might call it, I commend you for joining our cause. You're here because you see the injustices in Toontown, and like the rest of us, you're damn well tired of it," several of the toons in front of him grunted in agreement.

"Certain toons have made it so humans see us as nothing more than a joke, and have made a name out of themselves by piggy-backing on that misconception. And trust me when I say it is a misconception, because a toon should not be judged by his ability to chuck a pie or blow up another toon with dynamite. No, a toon should be valued by his morals and who he is as an individual, not by who he is on some Hollywood screen," a few "damn straight" and "hell yeahs" rang out over the crowd.

"By joining us, you're becoming a part of the revolution that will squash these misconceptions and start a new society that allows every toon to thrive, regardless of his talents. By joining, you have become a catalyst of change. Our time here together will hopefully be brief, because I feel that this change is coming quickly."

The toons erupted in applause when Smokey finished. Even Bosko was surprised by how well-spoken Smoky had been, as he usually was sounded like the rough gangster he was. Bosko knew he usually talked to new recruits when they first arrived, but he hadn't heard the speech until this point.

"He must have one hell of a speech writer." Oswald muttered. After Smokey told the toons to clear out of the room, he approached Bosko, Oswald, and Gonzo.

"Nice to see that you could make it. I was hoping Fritz would be able to find you, since he can barely do anything else right. Don't know why I put up with him," he muttered. "Anyway, I have a few more assignments for you two."

"What are they?" Bosko asked.

"Nothing huge, just some raids. Though we've been getting some good leads lately and I'm hoping we can gain more progress." Smokey handed Bosko a folder.

"You've been expanding quite nicely, I'd say." Bosko said as a crowd of recruits filed through the door.

"The more numbers the better," Smokey said, scanning the room. "But I'm hoping to- wait, what's that?"


	13. Chapter 13

Wakko opened his mouth and yawned. He rolled over and groaned when his cheek landed in a puddle of drool on his pillow. Rubbing the wet fur on his face, he sat up and stared across the room at Yakko's empty bed, which was made per usual.

"What time is it..." he muttered.

Looking at the beeping alarm clock next to his bed, he groaned when he saw the red numbers 9:30 glaring back at him and slammed his hand down on top of it. Surely, the box of cereal Bugs had gotten at the store would be gone by this point. He'd found that Daffy and Foghorn had appetites that almost rivaled his, and they would no doubt have had multiple bowls- and big ones at that- of the cereal at this point.

Wakko started towards the door but stopped when he walked past the mirror over the dresser. He looked disheveled and grimy and desperately in need of a good washing, but his grumbling stomach put that thought on hold. He could wait until after breakfast to take a shower, since food was his first priority, after all. Stretching his arms, he made his way down the hallway and groggily walked down the staircase.

"You didn't have to use the sports page to clean up your mess, now did you? I just wanted to see some of the scores..." he heard Bugs say as he approached the kitchen. Bugs looked up and smiled at him when he walked into the room. "Morning Wakko. Excuse the mess Daffy made." he held up a soaked page of the newspaper that was barely legible through its runny ink and flimsy paper. An annoyed Daffy stood next to him sopping up a pool of milk on the table with a wad of paper towels.

"Tips from a three year old even would do his hand-eye coordination some good, I say." Foghorn muttered and flapped open the news section. Daffy narrowed his eyes at the rooster and threw a soggy scrunched up paper towel at him, which he easily dodged.

"Morning. Is there any milk left?"

"Yeah, I managed to save most of it. The cereal's on the counter if you want any." Bugs said, pointing to the box of Lucky Charms next to the sink.

"Don't mind if I do," Wakko grinned. "Where's Yakko and Dot?"

"I think Yakko went to the bathroom and Dot's still in bed." Bugs said as he tossed a milky ball of paper towels into the trash. Wakko poured the cereal and milk into a bowl and sat down next to Daffy. Shoving a spoonful of the Lucky Charms into his mouth, he crunched on his delectable "pot of gold."

"Hey Wak." Yakko walked into the room and sat down on the other side of Wakko.

"Hewwo," Wakko said through a mouthful of cereal. He swallowed it with a gulp and shifted to face his brother. "I thought you'd wake me up earlier."

"Nah, I figured I'd let you and Dot sleep in for once. It is Sunday, after all."

"You feeling any better?" Wakko asked. He was hoping Yakko was a little more high spirited today than he had been last night. It drove him nuts enough when Dot wasn't acting like herself, and he knew he wouldn't be able to survive the day if both of his siblings were acting like mopey robots.

"I'm fine." Yakko said quickly and lightly kicked Wakko under the table. Bugs looked up at him and raised his eyebrow.

"Do you feel sick?" he asked

"Yeah, I think I'm coming down with a cold or something- couldn't stop coughing all night." Yakko said, forcing out a small cough. He shot Wakko an uncomfortable glance after Bugs had turned around to rinse off a few dishes. Wakko raised an eyebrow at him. Yakko hadn't been coughing all night, nor did he look sick. But he brushed it off when Yakko failed to elaborate any further.

"There's some cough medicine in the cabinet behind you if you think you need it. Let me know if you get any worse." Bugs said.

"I will, thanks. Hey Dot." he said when Dot came into the room and sat down at the table. She smiled and and took a slice of toast from the plate on the middle of the table.

"Get a good night's sleep?" Bugs asked her.

"Pretty good, though the birds outside by window wouldn't shut up." she took a bite from the slice of toast.

"I know that feeling." Bugs tossed his head towards Daffy and Foghorn.

"Oh, come on Bugs. You know you love us." Daffy clasped his hands and smiled bashfully at Bugs.

"Don't go batting your eyes, Daffy. It ain't becoming- I say- becoming of a man to do that," Foghorn said, waving his fork as he talked. He looked the duck up and down before chuckling. "Though that might not apply to you after all."

"I'd like to bat you in the head, creep..." Daffy muttered.

"Please, you can't hit a ball with a bat, can't hit a bug with a bat- what makes you think your aim is good enough to hit me?" Foghorn grinned.

"What? I have great aim!" Daffy protested.

"Says the puddle of milk you haven't finished cleaning up." Bugs muttered into his coffee mug before taking a sip.

"I could take you any day!" Daffy said, ignoring Bugs's comment.

"I'd love to see you try." Foghorn grinned.

"Fine," Daffy pulled a baseball and a wooden Louisville Slugger out of his hammerspace. "I challenge you to a batting duel, my every so cocky comrade." he said with a smug grin.

"Eh, no- not on my property." Bugs said and pulled the bat out of Daffy's hand. "You'll crack my new birdbath or something, and I don't want to have to clean up my yard after you leave it in ruins."

"I bet he put that bath in just for you, too!" Foghorn laughed.

"You classify as a bird too, Foghorn," Bugs said. "Just no to whatever it is you were planning on doing." Bugs handed him the bat back and Daffy put it in his hammerspace with a sig.

"Why do you carry that around?" Wakko smirked.

"I have my reasons." Daffy huffed. He straightened up and waved his hand at Bugs. "Wait, you have that video game, right? The baseball one?" Daffy asked and Bugs nodded with a raised eyebrow. "I'll show you on that!" he pointed at Foghorn.

"I guess I'll play if the rabbit lets us. You know, don't wanna ruin his property or anything." Foghorn snickered.

"Fine, if that'll satisfy you and keep you out of my hair, go ahead. But don't break any of my controllers this time!" Bugs called out to Daffy as he ran into the large den adjacent to the kitchen.

"You're really gonna play him?" Yakko asked Foghorn.

"I guess so. Though I had hoped to spend my morning differently. But maybe- I say- maybe the damn console will spontaneously combust or something." he sighed and got up to follow Daffy.

"Good luck with tha- wait, don't you dare blow up my Nintendo!" Bugs yelled at him.

"Yeah, yeah." Foghorn waved him off. Bugs shook his head and turned back to the few pages he had left of the newspaper. Wakko cringed at the thought of someone hurting a Nintendo. Video games were such beautiful things, and unlike most toys, they never hurt anyone. But that might change by the time Foghorn and Daffy were done with their game...

"So you play video games?" Dot giggled at Bugs.

"We all have our guilty pleasures." he looked up at them. "I'm sure you kids play them, too."

"Ehh, they're not exactly my cup of tea," Yakko said. "Why spend my time in some virtual reality when I could be enjoying this one? Nah, they're more Wakko's thing."

"He's obsessed with them." Dot muttered.

"Not obsessed, just very fond of them." Wakko corrected her.

"He's dying for that new Playstation contraption," Yakko added. "Hasn't stopped talking about it since they said it's coming out. I'm sure it's already at the top of his Christmas list."

"If it ever gets released in the US maybe." Wakko muttered.

"You can try out mine if you want." Bugs pointed to the living room. Wakko's jaw dropped. The system wasn't suppose to come out for months, and the thought of seeing one, let alone actually playing on it, mad his heart flutter. Bugs had to be kidding him.

"How did you get your hands on one?" he asked, flabbergasted.

"Being me does have its few privileges. C'mon, I'll introduce you two." Bugs got up and motioned for them to follow.

Wakko jumped up and eagerly followed him, while Dot and Yakko shrugged their shoulders and hopped off their seats. Wakko stood by the TV as Bugs kneeled down in front of it and pulled a box out of the cabinet under the TV stand. He opened it and Wakko's eyes almost rolled out of his head. There sat a brand new Playstation, and boy was it gorgeous.

"You sure I can touch it?" Wakko asked hesitantly. It looked almost too beautiful to play.

"Like I said, go to town with it. I'd try this game out first." Bugs handed him a case with a red race car on it and plugged in the console. After setting up the game and turning on the TV, he handed Wakko a controller and sat down on the couch next to Dot, while Yakko picked up the book he started yesterday and sprawled out on the chair next to the bookcase.

Wakko pressed start, and from that moment on he was in love. The game was way better than anything he'd ever played on his old Super Nintendo. Tuning out everything except the glorious display in front of him, Wakko stared unblinkingly at the screen.

Dot shook her head at her brother. It amazed her that someone could be so wrapped up in something so simple as moving pictures, but hey, who was she to judge? Letting a small smile form on her lips, she pulled her coloring book and crayons out of her hammerspace and sat in front of the coffee table. She saw Bugs grab an outdated magazine from the table next to him. She turned to the pages she had yet to color and started filling in a cat as faint noises of Daffy and Foghorn yelling drifted into the room.

She continued to color as the morning drew on. The grandfather clock in the hall chimed 10 o'clock, a half an hour past 10, and so on. Yakko and Bugs read while Wakko stared at the television, and Dot sat happily with her crayons in hand. She felt better this morning, and Bugs's reassurance the night before had helped loosen the knot in her stomach. It was still there, of course, but she was able block most of the thoughts that had consumed her mind yesterday. Just when she reached the last page of the book, Bugs stood up and stretched.

"Well kiddos, it's noon. What do you say to some lunch?"

"Sure." Dot said and put down the crayon. Bugs peered over her shoulder and chuckled.

"You're gonna need a new coloring book soon. And more crayons by the looks of it. I'll pick some up at the store next time we go." he ruffled her ears and walked towards the kitchen. Dot turned around to find Yakko standing behind Wakko with his arms crossed.

"Wakko, I'm pretty sure your eyes will dry up don't look away from the screen soon," he moved in front of him. "C'mon, it'll still be there after lunch."

"Just... five... more... minutes..." Wakko said as he craned his body around Yakko to see the screen, tongue hanging out of his mouth.

"I'll unplug it." Yakko teased. Wakko, not wanting to take any chances, nodded his head and quickly stood up.

"Okay, okay, just let me finish this course. I'm almost done." he said and Yakko shook his head and sat back down, waiting for Wakko to finish. Dot rolled her eyes at how consumed Wakko was in the game, despite having even been bribed with lunch. The most eloquent sentence he had ever said to her was that "parting was such sweet sorrow when it came to video games," and she could only roll her eyes at the thought of this claim. But like Yakko said, they were his kryptonite.

Walking into the kitchen, Dot pulled herself up onto one of the bar stools sitting around the island and watched on as Bugs cooked several grilled cheeses on the stove. He turned around to grab a knife and smiled when he saw that she had sat down.

"Smells good." she said.

"They shouldn't take too long to cook," he flipped one of sandwiches over with a spatula. "Hey, could you get something out of that drawer for me? The one behind you?" he pointed with his spatula. Dot nodded and turned around. She pulled open the drawer, which held nothing but a few chocolate bars.

"I don't see anything except candy. Did you mean this one?" she pointed to the drawer next to it.

"No, I meant the one you opened. I thought you and your brothers might like a treat before lunch."

"Wait, before lunch?" she raised an eyebrow at him and he let out a small laugh. "Is this some sort of test?"

"No, I'm serious. They're not big enough to ruin your appetite or anything." she grinned and unwrapped the chocolate, taking a large bit and savoring it after going weeks without having anything sweet.

She smiled and was about to thank him when Yakko and Wakko walked into the room, and she tossed one at each of them. They caught them with surprised expressions and looked between Bugs and Dot.

"Those are for you. You can have them now if you want." Bugs told them.

"But isn't lunch in a few minutes?" Wakko asked, confused.

"Yeah, but a little chocolate never hurt anyone. Feel free to dig in." Bugs said and Wakko's face lit up. Dot almost expected Yakko to protest eating candy before lunch, but even he was eyeing the chocolate in his hand longingly.

"Thanks!" Wakko said through a mouthful of chocolate.

"No problem," Bugs winked. They all looked towards the den when Daffy's frustrated yell rang out into the kitchen. "Would you three mind getting them for lunch? They've been in there for a while and I'm sorta afraid to go in there at this point. Besides, there's a much smaller chance they'd throw a controller at you than they would at me."

"Fine, but you're paying for any medical bills we accumulate in there." Yakko said and they walked towards the room.

"Thanks, you're real life savers." Bugs called.

She shook her head. Grown ups were such sissies. How bad could it be to interrupt a video game? She'd done it to Wakko plenty of times and the worst she's ever gotten were a few minor "no-no" words directed at her.

They went into the room and just as she stepped onto the rug, a pillow came flying towards her and she ducked. A seething Daffy was glaring at Foghorn, who was dangling a controller over the duck's head.

Maybe it could be pretty bad.

"You cheater!" Daffy, who was standing on the couch, picked up another pillow and was ready to throw it at Foghorn when Yakko spoke up.

"Sorry to interrupt, er- whatever this is, but Bugs said we're gonna eat soon."

"Hold on a sec," Daffy shot him a glance before returning his glare to Foghorn. "You're a low life, you know that? Three times now you've unplugged my controller! You're gonna pay!" he threw the pillow at Foghorn who just chuckled and blocked it.

"I don't think that's going to be a very effective way to get revenge. Throwing pillows isn't that threatening." Wakko said.

"What do you know?" Daffy snapped and jumped off of the couch. He stormed past them into the kitchen and took the seat Dot had been sitting in.

"He's just a poor sport, that's all." Foghorn chuckled as he joined them. They followed Daffy and took the remaining seats at the marble island. Bugs handed them each a sandwich, and Dot nudged Wakko to sit next to her. She smiled when he took the seat. The only other seat was next to Daffy, and he sure wasn't going near him anytime soon.

"Did you get all that competitive nonsense out of your system yet?" Bugs asked.

"No- he's a cheat! And do you know how long it took me to get that stupid game to work? I had to blow in it like, ten times! No, I'm not done until I'm given a fair chance." Daffy whined.

"And I was so hoping for a quiet afternoon..." Bugs sighed dramatically.

"At least you don't have to play him." Foghorn groaned. Bugs patted him on the shoulder before taking a sip from his coffee mug.

Wakko took a bite of his sandwich and let out a small, content sigh. He had been worried that everyone would be in the same states they were in last night, but the morning had proved him wrong. Yakko seemed to have calm down and Dot had perked up considerably. Even the adults were more relaxed, or as relaxed as they could be when they were in the company of each other. It felt like some of the weight on his shoulders had finally been lifted. He took another bite and tuned into a conversation Yakko was having with Bugs about toon theory. He was looking forward to the afternoon ahead.

* * *

"Well I'll be damned... Who would have thought that we'd be entertaining some of Hollywood's finest tonight." Smokey said with a malicious grin. Bosko looked through the thinning crowd of toons and saw Tango shuffle towards them.

"W-What's going on?" he heard a voice cry out from beside the rat. As more recruits cleared away, Bosko saw two figures come into view beside Tango.

"Shut it!" Tango said and shook the shivering pig in his grip.

"Why Porky, it's so nice to see again! How long has it been now? 20 years, or no- maybe 30," Smokey said and walked closer to them. "And is that Thaddeus? My, I think you've managed to shrink or something. I could've sworn you were at least this tall last time we talked." Smokey held up his hand to his waste and chuckled. Plotz, quivering as he was, looked far from amused.

"What do you want? Why did you bring us here?" Plotz said in the bravest voice he could muster, which really only sounded timid at best.

"No catching up first? C'mon, Thad. It's been awhile," Plotz stared down Smokey, this time masking his obvious fear a little more successfully than he had before. "No? Well at least let me introduce you to a few friends of mine. I'm sure you're fairly well acquainted with Tango already, and I know Porky knows Bosko here real well already."

Porky looked over at him and his eyes widened. If it hadn't been for all the banging coming from the pipes in the room, Bosko could've sworn he heard the pig gulp.

"How ya doin', Porky?" he grinned. Porky's eyes met his and then darted to Oswald, who waved back.

"And of course Oswald and Gonzo," Smokey said. "Tango, why don't you get these two a seat? I'm sure they're tired after their trip over here," Tango pulled two fold-up chairs from his hammerspace and sat them down, then ruffly shoved the toons onto the seats. "Now that we're all settled in, why don't we have a little chat."

"So you're g-g-gonna tell us why we're here t-then?" Porky stuttered.

"Of course, Porky. What would be the point for you to come all this way just for small talk, especially when I wasn't expecting you." Smokey said. Bosko looked back and forth between him and Plotz and Porky, and stepped forward when Smokey nodded at him to continue.

"We need names and places. Toons, studio big shots- basically anyone big tied to Toontown," he leaned down next to Porky's face. "And you need to spill where your little Looney friends are." This time, Bosko was sure he heard him gulp. After a moment of silence, Porky responded.

"Not a chance." he said without letting out a squeak or stammer. Most of the fear on his face had faded away and he sat up taller, but Bosko knew he was always a squealer. Porky was an actor after all, and Bosko could see right through his act.

"You might want to rethink your answer. I'll give you a minute to think it over," he moved back to Plotz and smiled. "What about you? I'm sure you'd like to help us out."

"No. I don't know what you're up to, but I surely do not want any part of it." Plotz huffed.

"C'mon! It would be just like old times." Smokey smiled and moved over next to him.

"That was just a small loan years ago, before I knew what you were really like. No, I definitely will not."

"Really? Because I'm sure I could persuade you fairly easily."

"I'd like to see you try." Plotz huffed. Several beads of sweat rolled down his face as he tried to seem as stoic as he possibly could.

"How's that money you've hidden outside the country doing? I'm sure the IRS would love to know."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Plotz said.

"You know, the hundreds of thousands of dollars you have over in Europe. I've seen the papers even, and I'm sure you have, too." Smokey said. Plotz's face grew red and he narrowed his eyes at the rat.

"How did you find out about that?" Plotz demanded as sweat continued to pour down his face.

"I've got friends in the business, you know. Very good friends. And these friends could easily send the feds over for a little visit."

"No! I mean- I don't believe you!"

"Of course you don't." Smokey chuckled. Biting down hard on his lip, Plotz didn't respond.

"So you'll help me then?" Smokey asked. Plotz stayed silent. "Well?" Bosko knew that Plotz always held his wallet a little too close to his heart, and wasn't surprised to see the man look as shaken as he did.

"I-I..." Plotz studied. Smokey's cheeky grin faded.

"Very well. I'll come back to you in a second]," he turned back to Porky. "Now that you've had some time to think, why don't you and Bosko finish your chat."

"Here's the deal, Looney," Bosko started. "I need you to tell me where that damn bunny of yours is. Things won't turn out good for you if you don't help me, and I'll make your life a living hell until you spill. So, where is he?"

"I don't k-know. Go check all the r-rabbit holes yourself." Porky said without any emotion evident on his face. Bosko was taken aback by this, since he really thought that out of all those damn Loonies, Porky would be the easiest to crack.

"Do you think I'm just asking for shits and giggles? This ain't a game! You'd better squeal right now, pig." Bosko jumped towards him and grabbed Porky by his sweater, but was quickly restrained by Oswald.

"Don't do anything rash." Oswald muttered in his ear. He watched as Smokey leaned down in front of them, another mischievous smile pulling at his lips.

"Alright, let's try this again."

* * *

 **Sort of a filler chapter, sort of not. If it felt a little slow, don't worry. A little digression never hurts now and then. Anyway, thanks for reading!**


	14. Chapter 14

Over a week had passed since the Warners arrived at Bugs's house. Things had quieted down considerably after Plotz's visit, and the mansion's occupants had settled into a comfortable routine of waking up, wolfing down Bugs's surprisingly good meals, annoying one toon or another, and going to bed with the intention getting up and doing the same things the next day.

Each day came and went with an air of familiarity. Dot happily colored and played with Muffin and a new stuffed bear Bugs had bought her at the supermarket a few days ago (it's name still undecided), and Yakko and Bugs read and discussed whatever books they poured over that day.

Daffy and Foghorn spent their time in the garage, den, or living room with the others, and unsurprisingly, Wakko had been glued to Bugs's Playstation every moment Yakko would permit him. But the best part of their days together was undoubtedly meal times.

Each breakfast, lunch, and dinner was a flurry of conversation ranging from the newest mallet models to many of Daffy's stories, which Bugs more often than not declared "inappropriate for small ears to hear." Yet Daffy usually managed to get through most of the good parts before Bugs shut him down, and Dot often found herself on the edge of her seat or highly amused by his adventures with other stars. Just last night, Daffy had told them about the time he and Frank Sinatra ended up a little too tipsy after a night out on the town.

"You know, Sinatra has nothing on me when it comes to karaoke." Daffy said at dinner.

"What? That guy has like, a dozen Grammys!" Yakko said. "And since when was there karaoke in the 50s?"

"Well, it's not like I had a machine or anything. We only sang to some records and stuff, and I beat Frank just about every time." Daffy boasted.

"Daff, there's a difference between attempting to sing a song and goofing off when your plastered," Bugs said and Wakko snickered, earning a glare from the duck. Bugs shook his head and looked at Dot and her brothers. "Don't listen to him, he's just spewing like usual."

"Hey, what do you mean by 'attempting to sing a song?'" Daffy whined.

"And what do you mean by plastered?" Dot asked, confused. Before Yakko could stop him, Wakko leaned over and whispered in her ear. She giggled and ignored the look Yakko shot their brother.

"You can't sing, doc." Bugs said in a flat tone.

"Aw, come on. Of course I can!" he picked up his fork held it in front of his mouth like a microphone. "Ready? I'll blow you all away with my top-notch skills-"

"No you won't, boy. Not if my ears have anything to say about it." Foghorn protested and snatched Daffy's mock microphone away from him.

"Come on, you'll miss out on hearing a master of his trade at work! You gotta listen!" Daffy huffed and leaned back in his chair.

"I'll put buying your album on my 'to do list' between kissing Bruce Vilanch and wading in a tub full of piranhas." Yakko smiled. Daffy turned his glare on him and muttered something about "respecting your elders" before pointing across the table.

"...Just pass the peas."

Not every moment over the last few weeks had been as fun spirited and relaxed as their mealtimes. Dot had been sitting at the island early one morning when the loosened knot in her stomach abruptly tightened once more.

She was enjoying a plate of scrambled eggs and toast with her brothers seated next to her when Bugs had all but thrown the newspaper in his hands across the room. Leaning against the counter, Bugs set his cup of coffee on the marble surface and put his head in his hands. Daffy and Foghorn came into the kitchen and sat down almost as if on cue.

"What's gotten into him?" Daffy muttered to Wakko next to him. He shrugged and continued to gaze at the rabbit with a concerned look.

"You alright there, Bugs?" Foghorn asked slowly. Bugs straightened up and ran a hand over his ears before handing Foghorn the newspaper. His faced immediately mirrored the rabbit's hollow stare, and Dot's heart clenched when she read the glaring headline from across the island.

 _Porky Pig and Thaddeus Plotz Missing._

"What? That has to be a misprint!" Daffy sputtered and snatched the paper from Foghorn. He frantically scanned the front page and collapsed in his seat, turning the pages nosily.

"How did that happen? We just saw them!" Foghorn bellowed. "What does that article say?"

"Not much... It just says they were going to a press conference from the lot and never showed up." Daffy gulped.

"Does it say anything about suspects?" Foghorn pressed.

"No... There's not much here except people's reactions..." Daffy said. "You don't think-"

"Don't. Don't go there right now." Bugs said in a strained voice.

"But we all know what this looks like! This reeks of something Bosko would do-"

"I said don't go there! Of course we all know what this looks like, so you don't need to go on about it!" Bugs snapped.

Dot bit down on her lip. She hadn't seen Bugs this mad since Plotz's visit, and she hated seeing the rabbit, or anyone she cared about, upset no matter what the circumstance was. But Daffy was probably right. Every arrow in her mind pointed to Bosko as the culprit and the reality of their situation came crashing down on her once again. This was the last thing she wanted to hear.

Dot felt Wakko tuck his hand around her's and she squeezed it tightly. She caught Yakko's worried stare and shot him a meek smile, which he returned, and watched on as Bugs hurriedly left the room and went upstairs. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Foghorn finally spoke up.

"Are you three alright? You look a little pale, though I see why. This isn't the best news- I say- the best news to hear at nine in the morning."

"Yeah, we'll be fine." Yakko said through a deep breath.

"Just try not to dwell on it," Foghorn said. Rubbing a hand over his beak, he leaned back in his chair and took a sip of the coffee Bugs had left out for him. "Why don't you boys go watch TV or something. There should be some good shows on about now. And I think Bugs left a new pack of crayons on your dresser when we got home from the store yesterday, Dot. You could draw- I say- draw in that book of yours."

"Sure." Wakko shrugged and hopped down from the chair. With shoulders hanging a bit lower than usual, he, Dot, and Yakko made their way towards the living room.

"I'm gonna go get those crayons. Be right back." she said and stepped up onto the staircase. Walking into her room, the bright yellow Crayola box caught her eye and she smiled when she saw that it was one of the highly coveted 64 packs that included a built-in sharpener. She picked up the box and walked out of the room, but stopped when a crash echoed down the hall.

"Shit-" she heard Bugs yell. Moving down the hall, Dot stopped in front of his slightly ajar bedroom door and saw him holding his foot near a coat rack on the floor. She couldn't make out most of what he was muttering, but she could tell whatever it was wasn't "appropriate for her little ears." She hesitantly knocked on the door.

"Look Daffy, I'm really not in the mood right now." he snapped. Dot took a deep breath before responding.

"It's just me." she said. He looked up and his scowl softened.

"Sorry, kid. I thought you were- well, never mind..." he trailed off and rubbed his foot.

"Are you okay?" she asked slowly. He let go of his foot and picked up the coat rack.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just didn't see this and tripped over it." he steadied the oak rack, stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked down at his feet. He sighed before continuing. "Remember when I told you everything would be okay? You still believe me, right?"

Dot walked up to him and took his hand.

"Of course I do," she smiled, hoping to erase some of the tension that was still evident on his face. "Why would you think that I don't all of a sudden?" While Dot did feel apprehensive about the situation, she was still hoping for the best outcome. Of course, Porky and Plotz's disappearance frightened her, but she was going to hold onto hope for as long as she could.

"I just- I don't know." he sighed. She squeezed his hand and his gaze met her eyes for the first time since she entered the room.

"Everything's going to be okay. Really." she said. He leaned down and picked her up, hugging her against him. She happily wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Thanks hun. I needed to hear that," After staying in the hug for a few moments, Bugs put her down and took her hand. "Why don't we see what the others are up to downstairs? I don't think I trust some of them to be left alone in my house for this long." he chuckled.

They went down stairs and Dot could hear Daffy and Foghorn whispering in the kitchen. She strained her ears to hear what they were saying, but Bugs spoke up again before she could catch anything. He nodded towards the living room before putting a hand on the kitchen door.

"I'll be there in a second. Just wanna see what state those birds left my kitchen in."

"Okay. Oh, and thanks for the crayons!" she waved the box in her hand. He winked and went through the swinging door, leaving her to join her brothers on the couch.

She crawled under Yakko's arm and leaned against him, propping up her knees to support her coloring book. He hugged her against him as he held a book close to his face with his other arm. Dot smiled, figuring he liked the book. His occasional muttering and frantic turning of the pages hinted he might.

She sat comfortably against Yakko for another 20 minutes or so before Bugs came in with Foghorn and Daffy following closely behind him. They each collapsed on a couch or a chair or love seat with a heavy thud, and Bugs, who had taken a seat next to her, rubbed his eyes before turning his attention to the television sitting between two large bay windows.

* * *

Several days later, Dot laid in her bed as the sounds of birds chirping and leaves rustling on Bugs's finely trimmed trees drifted in through the small opening in her window. A warm spell had set over the area during the last two days and for the first time in over two months, Dot could comfortably crack open her window to let a gentle breeze flow over her as she slept.

As much as she had appreciated a break from the practically scalding heat that plagued southern California for most of the year, she had missed being able to enjoy days like this. She lazily opened her eyes and watched as the alarm clock on the maple table beside her bed flickered to 6:00 AM.

Slowly drifting up into a seated position, Dot threw off the blankets and hopped down onto the cool wood floor. She stretched her back and started towards the bathroom. Treading quietly down the hall so not to wake anyone up, and keeping her eyes peeled for any stray ducks sleeping on the floor, she pushed open the bathroom door and filled a paper cup with water.

The cold liquid soothed her dry throat. Dot didn't like to admit when she was sick, but she definitely could feel the signs of a cold coming on. She took another gulp as the sound of knocking outside reached her ears. She shrugged and put the cup under the sink once again.

There had been a woodpecker or something knocking away at the tree outside her window for the past three days, as it had scratch marks running up and down it and a section of it's trunk was missing, so she thought nothing of it.

Trudging back to bed, Dot got back under the covers and decided to give herself a little more time to enjoy her comfortable bed and peaceful room. Just as she was about to fall back asleep, her ears perked up and she opened her eyes once more.

The knocking was getting louder and, somehow, sounded like it was getting closer to her window.


	15. Chapter 15

Dot sat up as the knocking continued to grow louder. She kicked off the covers and begrudgingly got out of bed for the second time that morning. Was it really too much to ask for a little peace and quiet? Sometimes she would be able to sleep in to her heart's content, but other mornings Foghorn would forget to close his door after his routine trip to the fridge at 4:00 AM and his snores would wake her up, or Yakko would start singing in his sleep again.

Dot was ready to scream when he was unknowingly belting a very loud rendition of the Macarena from across the hall last week. After ten minuets of trying to stuff pillows in her ears, she heard a thump and a groan come from her brothers' room and figured that Wakko had either malleted or pied him, because the house suddenly became very quiet. The latter was later confirmed when Yakko trudged downstairs that morning smelling oddly of lemon meringue.

Her curiosity pulled her to the window, and just as she was about to peer outside, a clang down rang down the hall and snapped her attention away from the noise. She hurried to the door and pulled it opened. A yelp escaped her lips when she collided into a black mass in the hallway and fell onto the beige rug outside her doorway. With her heart racing, Dot let out a sigh of relief when she looked up and saw her brothers standing over her.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you." Wakko said and pulled her up from the ground.

"Don't worry about it," Dot said as another clang erupted. "What's that noise?"

"Do you think it's Daffy's sleepwalking again?" Yakko smirked.

"I wouldn't place your bets just yet, Yakko." Daffy said as he came out of his room with Bugs and Foghorn following suit moments later.

"Then what's that-"

"Quiet for a sec, Dot." Bugs put up a finger and twisted his long ears in the opposite direction. They twitched when a hollow creak echoed off of the pale walls.

"It's probably just the house settling. We should all go back to bed, mmh?" Daffy yawned loudly and stretched his arms over his head.

Dot brushed off the noises that still poked at the back of her mind and longed to go back to her room. She found no sense in losing anymore sleep over the knocking, which seemed to have stopped at this point. Bugs had told them that the mansion was built back in the 20s', so she figured odd noises were not uncommon to hear in old homes. However, her heart clenched when a loud creak shattered the silence that had briefly settled over the house.

"Um, do houses usually do that when they settle?" Wakko gulped.

"I don't know... I'm sure Bugs just forgot to close a window or something last night and the wind is blowing in. Wind always makes weird noises." Daffy said nervously.

"It's probably the pipes again. I had three main ones burst last year and they haven't been the same since. They make weird noises all the time." Bugs said.

"Then why was I hearing noises outside earlier?" Dot asked.

"The pool system acts up and sounds weird every now and then, even though it's off. The plumber from Toontown I hired did a lousy job fixing that and the pipes, and the toon after that didn't do any better. You would think I could find someone capable of doing a simple pipe job for the money I'm paying."

"Did you try a human or someone from around here?" Yakko asked.

"Nah, I like to hire toons to do stuff like that. Gives them more chances to get business outside of Toontown." Bugs answered. Another bang echoed down the hall and Daffy latched himself to Foghorn.

"You just keep still there, boy." Foghorn shook his head and peeled Daffy's arms off of his torso. "Bugs is probably right. But don't you- I say- don't you go worrying yourself. Us big boys will go find out what's the matter with this old house." he gestured to Bugs and ignored the scowl Daffy directed at him.

"I'm a big boy, too..." Daffy muttered under his breath.

"You keep thinking that, Daf. Everybody needs a dream." Bugs lazily retorted as he walked down the hall with Foghorn.

"You know, I'm gonna give that bunny a piece of my mind someday-" Daffy said, but was cut off by another bang. "Let's go see what they're up to, shall we?" he said with a puddle of spittle landing on Wakko's hat.

"Aw come on, I just washed this!" Wakko muttered.

"You mean _I_ just washed this." Yakko said and tapped the hat, smirking when Wakko rolled his eyes before following Daffy. "Come on, I'm curious to see what all this fuss is about." he said to Dot and took her hand.

They caught up to Daffy and Wakko and followed them through one of the many doors that lined the long walls. Dot was surprised to find themselves in a narrower hallway with several doors littered between two small windows. She saw Bugs and Foghorn and watched as they took down a large metal panel on the wall, revealing a labyrinth of pipes.

"Did you know this was here?" she asked Wakko and Yakko. They both shook their heads.

"No, though I'm not that surprised. This house is too impressively big to not have secret passageways." Yakko said as he gazed around at the pale peach wallpaper.

"I wouldn't really consider this a 'secret passageway,' kid," started Daffy. "Though, there is one on the first floor that takes you to the-"

"Daffy, they're called 'secret' for a reason. Let's keep it that way," Bugs called out as he tinkered with one of the many pipes in the wall. "You guys can go back to bed if you want. Watching us ducktape pipes and whatnot wouldn't be much fun."

"Alright, good luck." Daffy smiled and turned around.

"Not so fast, duck. You wanna be a big boy, you have to play like one." Foghorn said, tossing him a wrench from his hammerspace.

"Why do you have this in there?" Daffy asked as he stared down at the tool in his hand.

"Every man carries a good set of tools with him at all times. But you obviously wouldn't understand that." Foghorn chuckled.

"You're a riot, you know that?" Daffy glared and marched towards them, gripping the wrench tightly. "A real riot."

"Of course he knows that. See how big his head's getting?" Bugs nodded towards Foghorn. "But, like I said before, you kids can go back to your rooms if you'd like."

"I think we'll take you up on that offer," Yakko let out a loud yawn and stretched his arms above his head. "See you at a more tolerable hour." he waved and headed back towards the door.

Dot groggily followed them back and hopped back in bed with a satisfied sigh. Pulling the bedding back over her, she furrowed her head into the pillow and pulled Muffin against her. She really needed to ask Bugs where he got these sheets, since the ones at the water tower felt like a burlap sack compared to the silky smooth satin she was currently laying on.

Just as she was about to fall back asleep, the wide ray of sunlight pouring in from her window shifted just perfectly enough so that it landed across her closed eyes. The soft darkness that clouded her vision suddenly turned a violently bright shade of pink, and she found herself opening her eyes yet again. She looked across the room to the window through squinted eyes and put a hand in front of her face to block out the light. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw a large, gray toon rat staring at her through the glass.

She bit down on her tongue as hard as she could to keep a shrill scream from escaping her lips and shot up out of bed. Not taking a second glance at the over-sized rat in the window, Dot sprinted out of her room and pounded on her brothers' door. Wakko threw it open with Yakko standing next to him, and both wore equally surprised expressions. She spared no time in grabbing them by their sleeves and dragging them down the hall.

"What happened?" Yakko asked, confused and concerned. The sound of glass shattering echoed off of the walls and she picked up speed.

"A giant rat was in my window!" she called out. Wakko dug his heels into the floor and forced them to stop.

"What? You got mean you got me out of bed for some stupid mouse?" he yelled.

"No, It was huge! Like bigger than you huge!" Dot panted. Looking past her brothers, she saw a large, dark streak shoot across the window.

"What's going on?" Foghorn boomed as he, Daffy, and Bugs rushed into the hall.

"Look!" Dot croaked and pointed at the window.

A scruffy, hunched over form was peering in through the glass. The rat's crooked teeth jetted out from his unpleasant smirk and his cold stare sent a shiver down her spin. He twisted his grin even further across his hollow cheeks and dragged his grimy nails down the pane of glass.

"We need to go." Bugs said barley above a whisper and grabbed Dot and Wakko by their forearms. He pulled them down the hall with the others trailing closely behind, and only looked back when the sound of smashing glass pierced the air as shouts rang out behind them. Dot looked over her shoulder and saw the rat jump through the window. To her horror, several more followed him in.

"Look at all the Looneys runnin'! Boss sure is missin' a show, alright." the rat laughed.

"Don't worry, he'll get to see it soon enough." another one other said with a low rumble in his voice.

Bugs picked up speed and turned into the hall strewn with tools and parts of pipes. It was obvious now that their seemingly thorough search for the source of the noise had been in vain. He let go of Dot and Wakko and slammed the door shut, pulled a hammer and pile of nails out of his hammerspace, and nailed the door shut so fast that he was no more than a gray blur for a solid five seconds.

"What are they doing here?" Dot asked. Yakko tugged her and Wakko against him when more voices came from outside.

"I'm not sure little lady, but I don't think- I say- I don't think they're here for a friendly visit." Foghorn said. For once, he looked as shaken as she felt. She jumped when several heavy thumps shook the door and a few of the door frame's nails clattered onto the ground.

"C'mon, we need to go," Bugs waved for them to follow him as the door started to give in. He skidded besides the last door on the wall and yanked it open. "Go up these stairs and pull open the bookcase on the left."

Dot padded her way to the top of the stairs as fast as she could and weaved her way through the rows of neatly stacked boxes. Foghorn all but tore the bookcase off of its hinges when he opened it and hurriedly pushed her, Yakko, and Wakko into the small space behind it.

She heard the door down the hall slam onto the floor with an incredible thud almost immediately after Bugs closed the door and sprinted towards them. As soon as he had crouched down next to Yakko and shut the bookcase, the rats' gruff voices grew louder and the floor protested under their heavy footsteps by moaning and wailing with each movement.

"It won't open."

"Well no shit, Fritz. It's locked."

"Step back. I got this."

Dot flinched at the sound of splitting wood. One cringe-worthy crack, then another. The door finally snapped with a hollow crunch and the pieces scattered on the floor.

"Nice one, Tango. Shorty didn't even flinch that time."

"Aw, shut it Mozes. When we get back I'm gonna-"

"Will you assholes shut up? I'm tryin' to listen."

"Sorry Tango."

"Ya, sorry Tango."

"You're a real couple of Girl Scouts... Spread out and look around for them. I could've sworn I saw someone go up here," she heard the rat move closer to them. "Come out, come out wherever you are, Looneys."

"And don't forget the kids, Tango. He wants them too."

"Oh don't worry, I remember."

Wakko shifted beside her and hugged his knees closer to him. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness just enough that she could make out Yakko picking at his gloves and Daffy twiddling his thumbs in an uneven rhythm. She still couldn't see their faces, and frankly, she didn't want to. It might worry her more if she did.

"Come on out, Looneys. It's huntin' season, and I'm huntin' wabbits." one of the rats said through a deep chuckle as the sound of a box crashing to the ground. The tapping of footsteps came closer and cast a shadow onto the bookcase that slid in through the tiny gap between the door and the floor.

"See anything the boss might want?"

"What the hell would the boss want with a bunch of Bugs Bunny's old crap? I don't think this picture of an old broad would do him much good."

"Well, you never know. Some of it might be worth something. Hey Tango, do you know what Smokey's gonna do with them?"

"Yeah, he doesn't tell us shit."

"I don't know, ask him yourself."

"Remember what he did to Rocky? Mugsy hasn't been the same since. Just sits in his cell all day and moans and shit. It's almost sad to watch." One of them said excitedly. Dot jumped when another box fell over and sent hundreds of beads rolling over the dusty floor.

"Nice going, Fritz. You just knocked over five boxes of crap."

"Why does he have all these costumes? Half of them look like they're for girls."

"Isn't he a cross dresser or something?"

"I thought that was just part of his act, but I can't say I'm surprised."

"It doesn't matter. We just need to find him. Circle the room and feel the walls. Maybe there's a door or somethin' they went out."

"But even if they did one of the boys outside would've caught them."

"Just do it, morons."

Daffy and Foghorn grabbed onto the bookcase's handle and Dot stayed as still as she could. The rats tapped on the wall across the room and slowly came towards them. Her breath hitched. One stopped in front of them and tugged on the side of the bookcase. Daffy and Foghorn pulled the handle to keep it closed, and Dot was so afraid that he'd figure out they were here that she was almost too scared to breathe. Yakko placed a hand on her shoulder as the bookcase continued to shake. After what felt like an hour, the rat finally moved on and Dot let out a long, quiet breath.

"There's nothin' here."

"Fine, they're probably downstairs by now anyway. But you dunderheads better find them, or Smokey will have my ass." their voices faded away as they shuffled down the stairs and went down the hall. Wakko went to stand up but Bugs tugged on his shirt and moved his finger in front of his lips. After they waited in an uncomfortable silence for several moments, Foghorn stood up and slowly pushed the bookcase open.

"Come on out, the rodents are gone. Though your attic sure did take a beating."

"I think you need to invest in a new exterminator..." Daffy groaned as he came out from behind the bookcase and stretched.

"Why didn't the alarms go off?" Bugs muttered and rubbed the back of his head.

"Didn't you tell Plotz that no one could get past your security system?" Yakko asked.

"Yeah, and until now no one has. There was that one time that Daffy got caught by it-"

"Ahem!"

"-and so did Plotz, but its never failed like this. I even update it every year."

"I wouldn't dwell on it. What's done is done. And besides, you heard them. They're working for Smokey and that guy doesn't quit- I say- doesn't quit till' he gets what he wants." Foghorn said.

"That's the concerning part." Wakko said quietly.

"It'll be alright, Wakko. I don't intend on becoming rabbit stew today," Bugs moved across the room and kneeled down. "We just need to get out of here."

"What are you doing?" Dot peered around him. He flipped over a faded rug and felt around on the floor. With a grunt, he pulled up several slabs of wood and revealed a dark passage way.

"Does this secret passage meet your standards, Yakko?" Bugs said with a smirk.

"It does indeed. Though all these hidden nooks and holes in the floor are oddly convenient." Yakko said.

"Well that's why I put them in. Us rabbits like to burrow, you know," Bugs bent down and unfolded the ladder that was bolted to the insulation covered wall and started to descend down it. "Come on, it's safe. Just hold on tight as you come down." he waved for them to follow.

"Be ready to chuck yourselves." Yakko whispered to Wakko and Dot. One by one they pulled themselves down the long ladder. The only way Dot got through it without having a panic attack was by telling herself she'd touch the ground after each step, since the overwhelming darkness made it impossible to tell how far the drop really was.

"Ouch! Wakko, watch it. My tail isn't a rung." Yakko whispered.

"Sorry. It's a little hard to tell right now." Wakko answered.

"Well last time I checked, ladders aren't fuzzy and don't move." Yakko said.

"Hush up boys. We're almost there." Foghorn said. Bugs reached the floor and groped the wall, trying to find a doorknob.

"Ah, here it is," Bugs said and peered through a crack in the door. "Alright, I think it's safe." he opened the door and pulled a lantern out of his hammerspace. They walked into a kitchen that was outfitted in grey cabinets and ancient looking appliances. Black and white linoleum was peeling off of the floor and a dusty wooden table and chairs sat in the corner next to a set of stairs that ended abruptly against a brown-stained ceiling.

"What is this place?" Wakko asked, looking up at a brass chandelier that was delicately frosted in cobwebs.

"The last owners used the basement as the servants' quarters and this was their kitchen, but I closed it off when I moved in. That thing we just came down through used to be a laundry chute."

"So you mean to tell us that you just brought us to a dead end under a house that's filled with rats who want to kill us?" Daffy yelled.

"Shh! Do really you think I'm that dumb, doc?" Bugs rolled his eyes and pushed the icebox away from the wall. He lifted a large wooden board away from the wall, and a long staircase appeared. Sunlight dripped in through the sides of the cellar door at the top.

"What in tarnation is this?" Foghorn asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I put it in after Bosk- eh, I put it in a while ago in case of emergencies. There's another one at the front of the house, too, but this one leads to the neighbor's yard." Bugs said.

"Well let's go then!" Daffy said impatiently.

"Hold on there, boy. Don't you think- I say- don't you think we should make up a plan or something? Once we get outside, those rodents will be on our trail tighter than a moth hugging a lantern."

"Then we'll go in two groups so we're less noticeable. I'll take the kids and you two can go together." Bugs said.

"But what if one group get's caught? I don't want to die!" Daffy cried and pulled on the tuft of feathers at the top of his head.

"Calm down, Daf! We'll be fine." Bugs said before turning back to Foghorn.

"Me and him will go first and tell you if it's all clear, so you wait here until we give you the signal." Foghorn said.

"That sounds great and all, but none of us are exactly telepathic." Yakko said.

"I set up that new phone- I say- new phone I got at the store last week, so I'll call you when we get down the street and we'll meet up there." Foghorn pulled a cell phone out of his hammerspace and turned it on. Bugs did the same.

"And what if that doesn't work?" Bugs asked as he turned the volume down to the lowest setting. Foghorn stared at him with a serious expression, his eyes losing the last trace of a twinkle that had managed to survive the morning's events.

"I hate to say it boy, but you're on your own."

"Oh, I don't like this... why do we have to go first?" Daffy whined from beside him.

"Daffy, it's us or the three of them. Who would you rather be at the most risk?" Foghorn gestured at Yakko, Wakko, and Dot. Daffy looked between them before meekly nodding his head.

"Alright... alright. Let's get going then." he said and straightened up. With one last nod, he and Foghorn moved up the staircase.

"Take care now, you hear." Foghorn said before disappearing in the darkness.

"You too." Bugs called back.

"Now what do we do?" Wakko asked.

"We wait, Wakko." Yakko sighed and sat down on one of the rickety chairs. He pulled Dot onto his lap and tapped the seat next to him for Wakko to sit down. All Dot could hear for a minute or two was her heart violently rapping against her rib cage and Yakko's shallow breaths moving against her back.

"Do you think they'll be alright?" she said quietly after not being able to stand the silence any longer.

"I'm sure they'll be fine, princess."

She shot her head around to where they entered the room and balled up a handful of her clothes with a sweaty fist. A giant, gray rat was standing across from them with a crooked grin and wild eyes. Dot recognized him as one of the rats she and Bugs ran into on the day of the earthquake. Yakko stood up and pulled Wakko against him and strengthened his hold on her.

Bugs slowly moved away from the counter he was leaning against and stood next to them. His furrowed eyebrows pulled his features into a motionless stare and a firm line replaced the sarcastic smirk she was so used to seeing. It was like watching a deer- or a rabbit, in this case- anticipating every move of his hunter's pursuit.

"I wasn't expecting company today, Tango. Can't say I like having people over without cleaning first." Bugs said coolly.

"Don't worry rabbit, I'm not disappointed. This is a much nicer joint than what I'm used to. Though I must say that you've let this part go. Too bad," Tango said looking around at the kitchen with a greedy grin. "Maybe I'll fix it up when I move in- you know, after the owner's out of the picture."

"Don't count on it, doc." Bugs crossed his arms.

"Not that I'm interested in your life or what you do, but just out of curiosity, how did you find us?" Yakko asked. He had taken on Bugs's piercing but still seemingly nonchalant stare with a surprisingly striking resemblance to the rabbit.

"It wasn't hard. I told my boys to go search the rest of the house and I waited behind a pile of crap 'till you came out from behind that bookcase. You do have a lot of crap, rabbit. Then I followed you down that ladder and waited for those birds to scram. It really wasn't hard, though I appreciate the extensive fire drill system or whatever it is you've got goin' here. Remember to stop, drop, and roll next time, though, The fire marshal would've failed you on that." he chuckled.

"You just hid behind a box and waited until we came out? Oh, how very original. Are you gonna tell us you're a Nazi now, too? Liesel is going to be very disappointed in you, Rolf." Yakko snorted.

"It worked, didn't it? Besides, I didn't have time to mess around, and still don't now. So why don't you little kiddies come with me and your daddy here and make this easier for all of us." Tango said and inched towards them. Bugs put his hands on Wakko and Yakko's shoulders and pulled them towards the icebox. Dot held on tightly to Yakko.

"It's been fun playing hide-and-seek and all, but I think it's time to call it quits. I can hear your mother calling you in for dinner." Bugs slowly let go of Wakko and put a hand behind his back. "Here, make sure you take your ball back with you!"

Bugs threw a handful of bombs at the rat and scooped up Dot and her brothers before taking off up the stairs in the fastest toonsprint she's ever seen. He pushed through the door at the top and put them down, grabbed an extensive assortment of explosives and anvils from his hammerspace with a grunt, and took off, weaving through yards and driveways with the Warners holding on tightly to him without a moment to lose.

"Do you see anyone following us?" he shouted over the vortex of wind pounding against their bodies.

"No, I don't think- wait, I think I see that Tango creep and some of those other rats!" Wakko yelled back.

"Wonderful. Hold on!" Bugs called out and, to Dot's amazement, started going even faster. They continued to move through blocks of homes, yet Bugs was still unable to shake off the rats.

"How are we doing?" Bugs panted.

"Not so great. They're so close that I'm starting to feel claustrophobic." Yakko replied.

"You kids are gonna have to throw them off. I don't care what you do, just do it now!" Bugs yelled. Dot yanked her arms free from Yakko's grip and pulled a pie out from behind her back.

"Guys, chuck a pie!"

"What?" Wakko said.

"A pie, Wak! Throw as many pies as you can at them! It works, I swear!" she launched the pie at the rat closest to them and smirked when it him square in the face and knocked him down. "See?"

"Huh, okay then." Yakko chucked one of his own pies, a banana creme by the looks of it, and threw it. It landed on a patch of grass and one of the rats slid through it in a spectacular motion, finally falling flat on his back with his limbs flailing. Wakko did the same, and his knocked a rat's legs out from under him. One by one they shot the rats down, but no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't get Tango.

"Wait, don't throw anymore!" Wakko called out.

"What? How are we suppose to get him then?" Yakko said.

"If we time it just right and throw them all at once, we could get him." Wakko replied. She and Yakko nodded and chucked two extra creamy pies.

"Pies at the ready, sir!" Yakko yelled.

"Alright. One... two... three!" They shot the pies at Tango with all their might and each one landed perfectly on his face, their force knocking him to the ground.

"Got him!" Wakko grinned.

"Alright- good," Bugs huffed. "We'll go a few more blocks- then I have to stop."

They turned onto one street, then the next. Dot was relieved to see that there were no rats in sight. She would be happy if she never heard the word "rat" again after this experience, and now she was definitely turned off from wanting to have any type of rodent as a pet. After speeding past a row of shops, Bugs pulled into an alleyway and collapsed onto the pavement in a heaving mess.

"Are you alright? Wakko asked when they leaned down over him.

"Yeah- just have to- catch my breath. Not as young- as I used to- be." he huffed. Yakko took a water bottle out of his hammerspace and handed it to the sweaty rabbit.

"Here. I was saving this for later, but you look like you could really use it."

"You're a real saint, doc. Thanks," Bugs sat up and drank the cool water with a single gulp. He looked around the alley and sighed. "It looks like we're back where we started, huh?"

"Yeah. Though I hope Foghorn and Daffy are alright. I didn't see them when we were running." Dot said.

"I'll call them and- wait, dammit! I dropped my phone somewhere back there." Bugs ran a hand over his tired face.

"Do you think they got them?" Wakko said softly.

"I sure hope not. Their bickering was really starting to grow on me." Yakko said with a small, unconvincing laugh.

"I'm sure we'll hear from them soon. But in the meantime, let's just stay positive and try not to attract any attention to ourselves, hmm?" Bugs said.

"Alright, but do you suppose they're gonna find us? If they got past your security system so easily then tracking us down to an alley is probably a piece of cake for the them." Dot sighed.

"Like I said, let's try to stay positive. Everything will probably turn out fine," Bugs scratched his chin in thought. "Though I still can't figure out how they broke in."

"I can't either. You seemed to have really thought out your security system. I'm surprised you didn't have your own emergency alert test blaring on the TV every ten minutes," Yakko said. "Speaking of which, what's up with all the hidden passageways and stuff?"

"I'm a big star and that makes my a big target. That and I guess I became pretty paranoid after Bosko and I had our little run in."

"Was it really that bad?" Dot said.

"Yeah... I could barely sleep for months. It really got to me." Bugs said and scratched the back of his neck.

"What did he do that was so terrible?"

"Wakko-" Yakko scolded.

"No it's fine. I'd rather you hear the right version from me than some twisted version from a tabloid bringing it back up during a slow 'news' week," Bugs said and cleared his throat. "Do you want the short version or the long one?"

"Whichever's more accurate." Wakko said. Bugs nodded and took a deep breath.

"Alright. You see, it started back when I was first signed with Warner Brothers..."


	16. Chapter 16

"Another round on me!" Porky yelled above the bangs and shrills coming from the bandstand.

"Porky, sit down! The studio's already paid for all the drinks," Bugs yelled and pulled the swaying pig back onto his seat. He grabbed the half-empty glass from his hand and slid it across the table. "Besides, you've had enough alcohol in one night to even make Humphrey Bogart jealous."

"Oh c'mon, Bugs, we just got here! The party's barely started!" Porky shouted.

"It's almost 11:30, Porky. Why don't you take a break for a bit." Bugs said.

"Fine, but you really are a party pooper." Porky pouted and rested his head on the table. Within seconds he was fast asleep, drooling on the studio's fine china. Elmer peered over at him and raised an eyebrow.

"I still don't undewstand why his stutter disappeaws when he's dwunk. It's not like my speech impediment is gone when I get a widdle tipsy." he grunted. Bugs shrugged and turned his attention back to the crowd.

Couples danced feverishly in front of them on the expansive dance floor, which was newly adorned with sticky puddles and globs of who-knew-what. Bugs's headache was growing more unbearable with each note of the blasting music that ricocheted off his eardrums. The perk of being a rabbit was having acute hearing, but the con to being a rabbit was also having acute hearing. He liked Harry James and his Orchestra, sure, but would be much happier listening to the blaring tempos from the back of the room- or even better- on a record in his living room.

He hadn't even wanted to come to this party. If Jack Warner hadn't chewed him out last week for missing the last two _Looney Tunes_ premiers, he would have happily stayed home and enjoyed a rare evening free of his celebrity duties. But, this was the studio's big television launch party, and all the biggest stars were there. He'd just prefer that they'd not all be wasted.

"They sthound good tonight, don'tsha think?" Sylvester smiled at him from across the table. Bugs's glare remained unchanged and the cat nervously scratched the back of his neck and looked away from him. Bugs tapped his foot as he watched Daffy saunter through the crowd with several glasses of punch in his hands. He took one of the drinks from the duck once he had sat back down at their table.

"I thought I told you to cut Porky off a half an hour ago." he muttered to Daffy.

"No you didn't." Daffy huffed. "You've hardly said anything to me all night."

"That's because you were too busy googly-eyeing Betty Boop over there, boy." Foghorn said. "I tried to tell you three times that your fly's down and not once- I say- not once have you even acknowledged me."

"Well, she's been dropping hints at me all night. How could I look away?" Daffy protested and hastily pulled his zipper up.

"Hints? Boy, the only thing that girl is gonna drop is an anvil on your head when you get too close to her." Foghorn snorted.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Daffy jumped up and glared at the rooster.

"It means she's out of your league, doc," Bugs said. "Besides, she's already here with Rocky. I'm surprised the guy hasn't popped one in your head yet for even looking over there."

"It's not like she's serious with him or anything. I still have a chance," Daffy said, ignoring the first part of what Bugs said. He turned around and looked at Betty, who winked at him after Rocky got up from the table. Daffy sent a weak wave to her with a silly grin plastered on his face.

"She's just trying to get a gig by going with Rocky. The girl is practically a nobody nowadays." Foghorn said.

"She is not a nobody!" Daffy growled at him. He turned back to stare at her and an instantaneous, dreamy expression washed over his face. "And she certainly doesn't look like a nobody." he cooed.

"Please, that girl is the biggest suck up in Hollywood. If she came with any attachments I'd throw out my Hoover." Bugs said as he lazily traced the rim of his glass with his finger.

"You're just jealous that someone likes me and not you for once!" Daffy hissed back.

"Daf, I'm not jealous. Just a little confused by your taste in women." Bugs responded.

"Well you're- the thing is, rabbit- oh just forget it!" Daffy jolted out of his chair and stormed off into the crowd. The band started to play an even louder, more upbeat song and the people around them began dancing and twirling more ferociously than before.

"Was it something I said?" Bugs scratched his head.

"Nah, the boy's just love struck, is all. He'll get over it soon enough." Foghorn yawned.

"I'd better go see what's really bugging him." Bugs sighed. He put on his coat and squeezed past the couples jitterbugging on the dance floor as Moe and Curly Howard mockingly led the band with baguettes instead of batons. Bugs shook his head. And they said toons were too looney.

After searching through the crowd to find Daffy, Bugs turned and made his way to the large front doors of the ballroom. He nodded to the waiter who held open one of the doors for him and made his way down the stained red carpet that was littered with streamers and broken flashbulbs.

Only a few scattered fans remained, all of whom were busy speaking to stars that were thankfully not him, and he quietly moved behind one of the building's large pillars. Spotting the outline of a toon against a stone wall near the back entrance, Bugs swiftly moved towards it.

Daffy sat against a trash bin with a bottle in his hands. Bugs couldn't tell if Daffy was glaring at him or not, but decided that the duck's silence was an invitation, or at least not a protest, to sit down.

"Is everything alright, doc?" he said as he slid down next to him. Daffy stayed silent for a moment before letting out a sigh.

"How can you tell when a girl's leading you on?" he said, quietly.

"Who? Betty?"

"Her, Olive Oil, and a bunch of other dames. It just feels like every girl I like only talks to me when we're around other stars. I don't know... Porky's got Petunia and Pepe's been married three times in the past year alone. Even Elmer's got someone."

"Daf, you're too good for all of those broads put together. And don't worry, you have plenty of time to shop around and settle down."

"Yeah, but I want a girlfriend!" Daffy whined.

"That's why you're a maroon, doc-"

"Geez, thanks."

"- but you're my maroon, I guess," Bugs slung an arm around his shoulder. "It's okay to be single. Look at me- I'm on the market but I'm still happy."

"Yeah, and girls throw themselves at you the moment you step out the door." Daffy murmured.

"You think I like that?" Bugs said and pointed to the missing patch of fur on his neck from where a fan was clinging to him last week.

"Touche."

"C'mon, lets get going. We can cheer you up back at my place." Bugs said and pulled Daffy up from the ground.

"Can we have ice cream sundaes?" Daffy batted his eyes.

"Why not." Bugs smiled. They walked back towards the front of the building. Katherine Hepburn was walking to her limo and waved to them, and just as Bugs was about to wave back, he heard several high-pitched shouts travel down the street. He turned around and was startled to find a heaving toon woman staring down at a smaller toon.

"Don't touch me! Don't you even dare come near me- hey, I said no!" he heard the woman scream. Sharing a concerned look with Daffy, the pair quickly made their way towards the toons.

"Come back here, bitch! I ain't through with you yet!" the smaller toon growled. Bugs approached them and tapped the woman on the shoulder.

He could only see the caked-on makeup on her face that was several shades too light for her complexion under the dim streetlight, and still had trouble making out the other toon's features since everything except his faint outline was masked by the darkness. He had no problem inhaling the strong smell of alcohol that rolled off of the toon, however, and was tempted to plug his nose at the stench.

"Is everything alright, Miss?" he asked.

"Oh yeah, my freaky little 'boyfriend' here just doesn't know when to quit the booze, is all." she snorted, keeping her eyes firmly set on the toon.

"Can it, Sylvia," the toon staggered into the light and glared up at her. "I ain't afraid to wail on ya when you deserve it!" he shook a fist at her.

"That ain't necessary, doc." Bugs said and stepped in between them. He frowned when he was finally able to get a good look at the toon, who shared a similar, if not more disgusted expression when he looked up at him.

"You." the toon growled and his face contorted into one of the hollowest glares Bugs had ever seen.

"Yes, me. Nice to see you again, Bosko." Bugs said, dryly. Sylvia spun around and grinned at him, grabbing a piece of her hair and twirling it.

"Oh- hello Mr. Bunny, I didn't know it was you! I'm Sylvia-" she giggled before Bosko grabbed her arm and pulled her away from Bugs just as she reached out for a handshake.

"What the hell are you doin'?" Bosko said through gritted teeth.

"Ow, Boskie, ya hurtin' me!" she whined.

"Okay, doc, let's just get you home. You'll feel better then." Bugs stepped forward and put his hand on the toon's wrist.

"Don't touch me! I wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for you!" Bosko shouted.

"Sorry, but I don't recall force feeding you Jack Daniels any time over the last few hours." Bugs said slowly.

"Yeah, yeah. Act so innocent like you always do, rabbit," Bosko came closer to him. Bugs almost recoiled when the stench of of alcohol rolling off of Bosko became even stronger. "Think you're so grand and righteous all the time, like Hollywood was made just for you, ain't that right?"

"Oh lay off, Boskie." Sylvia chided.

"Shut it!" he pushed Sylvia, who tripped on her obscenely tall heels and would have landed on the pavement if Daffy hadn't caught her. Bugs grabbed Bosko's shoulders and moved him away from her. The toon roughly shoved Bugs's hands off of him.

"You need to cool down, doc." he said, angrily. "C'mon, Miss. We'll take you home."

"You would? Oh, what sweethearts!" Sylvia hooked her arm around Bugs and Daffy's elbows. "My girlfriend would absolutely die if she knew I was going home with you two!"

"Hold on, lady. You know we don't mean _home,_ right?" Bugs said with a raised eyebrow. He heard a low growl come from Bosko when Sylvia shrugged and giggled. Taking that as his cue to leave, Bugs started walking back towards the front door with Daffy and Sylvia.

"What the hell are you doing? Get back here!" Bosko called after them. He started after them but stopped when two policemen turned the corner.

"Is everything alright here?" the taller of the two policemen asked.

"Oh yeah, just peachy," she smiled. "'Cept that guy over there keeps bothering us." she pointed to Bosko. The toon's glare became even more piercing.

"Sir, would you please move along." the other policeman said. Bosko looked between Sylvia, Bugs, and Daffy.

"Fine." Without another word, Bosko turned around, shoved his hands in his pockets, and walked down the sidewalk. Bugs let out a silent sigh.

"Thank you, officers. Have a nice night." he said and turned around as the policemen waved goodnight.

"What's got Bosko's knickers in a twist?" Daffy asked Sylvia as they walked back.

"Oh nothing. We just got into a little fight at the bar. He'll be fine in the morning," she giggled. Pulling Daffy and Bugs closer to her, she continued. "So, what are you boys doing tonight?" she purred.

"Eh, we already have plans." Daffy moved away from her. They arrived back at the hall and stopped at the edge of the parking lot. Several groups of stars trickled out from the wide doorway.

"Is that Cary Grant? And James Cagney!" Sylvia squealed. Daffy rolled his eyes and reached into his hammerspace.

"Here," he pulled out his wallet and handed Sylvia a fifty. "Go call yourself a cab. There's a phone booth over there you can use." he smiled insincerely. She took the bill and stared at it in disbelief.

"What? I couldn't possibly take this much money! Toontown's not that far away, ya know."

"Go buy yourself something pretty, then." Daffy smiled as he put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her towards the phone. She wrapped herself around Daffy's neck and took off with a squeal.

"Fifty?" Bugs asked.

"It got her off our backs, didn't it?" Daffy shrugged. A small frown appeared on his face when he saw Rocky and Betty Boop get into a long, black limo.

"Why don't we get going. This party's starting to be a real drag." Bugs put a hand on his shoulder.

"It was a drag all along," Daffy said glumly. He looked up and pointed at a group of toons outside the building. Foghorn and Elmer waved at them as Porky bent over and threw up into a bush. "Porky isn't looking too good over there..."

"We'd better go check on him," Bugs sighed and walked towards them. "Remember the last time he was this drunk and we were in Hawaii? It took three of us to get him off the pole at that luau." he chuckled.

"Then he choked on the apple... how could I forget? I'm the one that had to give a basted pig the Heimlich!" Daffy snorted. They stopped next to Elmer and looked down at Porky, who was on his knees beside a puddle of vomit.

"How you doing down there, doc? Systems all cleared yet?" Bugs asked.

"H-hi, Bugs-" he paused to hurl again. "I'm d-doing b-be-bet-well." he stuttered.

"Oh good, sounds like he's sobering up." Daffy muttered to Foghorn and rolled his eyes.

"The boy needs to handle his drink better. This is a crying shame, it is." Foghorn tisked.

"Daffy and I are going back to my place. Any of you wanna come along?" Bugs asked.

"No thanks, I have to get up eawly in the mowning. Do you need anymowe help with Powky beforw I go?" Elmer said.

"Nah, we can handle him. See you Monday." Bugs said. Elmer waved goodnight and disappeared into the parking lot.

"I think- I say- I think I'll take you up on that. Can't say this party perked me up any." Foghorn said.

"What about you, Porky?" Daffy bent down and asked the heaving pig.

"If y-you wouldn't m-m-mind, a ride home w-would be real s-swell."

"Sure. I'll go get the car and make sure someone picks up yours in the morning." Bugs said and walked up to the valet area.

The boy, who's small stature and meek appearance made Bugs question if he was even old enough to have a license, brought the red Mercedes to him after narrowly missing Doris Day's pink convertible. Bugs got in and drove to where the others still stood, and took off down the dark street after Daffy and Foghorn hoisted Porky into the back seat.

They rode through Hollywood with the the music from the radio trickling out the window until reaching the edge of Toontown's Ashburn district, the wealthiest area in the city. Only a few cars were on the road. Another Mercedes was cruising in front of them and a rusty Ford was rattling and clanging behind. Bugs rolled up his window as the cool night air was swept into the car by streams of wind, and became deaf to many of the noises outside.

"Here we are. Need any help?" Bugs asked after pulling into Porky's driveway.

"No, i-it's fine. I l-left the side d-d-door unlocked so Petunia c-can't hear me c-come in."

"Wait, so you planned on getting wasted?" Daffy said.

"Well, i-it's not often I g-g-get to go o-out without Petunia much a-anymore. I n-need t-to take advantage of i-it w-when I can." Porky said, holding on tightly to the door as he got out.

"I'm tempted to punch him right now." Daffy muttered to Foghorn. He yelped when Bugs kicked him.

"Alright, then. Tell her we hope she feels better." Bugs said. They pulled away after making sure Porky made it into the house without toppling over into one of the many rose bushes that lined the path on the side of the house, and drove to the other side of the neighborhood. Daffy jumped out and sped up the pathway the moment Bugs rolled into his long driveway and turned off the car.

"Can I have the keys? I need to pee!" Daffy shouted from the front stairs.

"Oh no boy, I want the bathroom first!" Foghorn called back and ran towards him. He pushed the duck out of his way and the two swatted at each other as they both tried to block the door.

"I have more than one bathroom- oh, just take the keys, you animals." Bugs threw the keys at them. Daffy lunged for them but was pulled back by Foghorn, who snatched them off the ground before Daffy could escape his hold. Bugs started walking towards his squabbling friends and put his hands in his pockets, but stopped when they felt emptier than usual.

He walked back to his car and went to open the door when he noticed the noisy truck they had seen earlier pull up beside the curb across the street. Figuring it was a friend of his neighbor's rambunctious teenage son, Bugs shrugged and picked his wallet up from the floor of his car. He walked back into the house and called out to Daffy and Foghorn. Hearing no response except a slam upstairs and a groan that presumably belonged to Daffy, Bugs rolled his eyes and went into the kitchen.

He placed the needle on his record player in the corner of the room down on his Billie Holiday record. Music filled the air as he opened the fridge to pick out a bottle of wine, and masked the sound of someone coming into the kitchen. Turning around to grab three glasses out of the cabinet, Bugs stopped dead in his tracks at the sight in front of him.

A disheveled, sweaty Bosko stood in the kitchen doorway. His fists were clenched so tightly that it looked like his already threadbare gloves were about to rip apart, and his icy stare pierced through Bugs. Trying not to appear as startled as he was, Bugs cleared his throat and spoke up.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, keeping a firm grip on the glassware in his hands.

"Just came to check on an old friend. Seeing you earlier reminded me how much I... missed you." he said with a twisted grin. Even from across the room, Bugs could still smell the alcohol on Bosko's breath.

"Why are you really here- how'd you get in?"

"Those birds of yours left the front door open. Not too bright, are they?" the toon chuckled darkly. "And you heard my spiel earlier, so now I'm gonna just sit back and- "

"and what?" Bugs interrupted.

"-let me finish, rabbit. You things are always too jumpy," he muttered. He gave him a long, cold glare before continuing. "You're gonna pay for what you did."

"And how are you gonna make me pay, exactly?" Bugs raised an eyebrow. Bosko's grin widened and he reached into his hammerspace. He pulled put a small pistol and pointed it at Bugs.

"By doing this."

* * *

Wakko stared at Bugs with wide eyes. He shifted in his spot on the ground and glanced at his siblings. Yakko was looking at Bugs with rapt attention as he absentmindedly picked at his gloves, while Dot clenched the hem of the over-sized t-shirt Bugs had given to her to sleep in.

"I still can't remember what happened after that. Foghorn and Daffy said they heard a shot from upstairs and found me with a bullet in my gut."

"Why didn't you try to fight back? You could've taken him easily- you're the best toon in the business!" Yakko said, dumbfounded.

"It happened so fast... that and I guess I just always felt bad for the guy." Bugs said.

"How could you feel bad for him? He's the biggest creep on the planet!" Dot said.

"I mean, I've always kinda thought it was my fault that his career went down the drain. He pretty much stopped getting gigs the day I signed on with Warner Bros. In hindseight I see it wasn't, but I guess I thought that if I listened to him that night, it might help him move on or something. When he pulled the gun out I just sorta froze. I don't know... I just wasn't thinking. I shouldn't have been surprised by what he did. He had a history of violence even before being fired, and it only got worse when he was out on the streets after." Bugs said. Wakko and his siblings stayed silent for a moment. He tugged on the thin t-shirt he was wearing as the air became cooler and a large accumulation of dark clouds settled over the area

"Did you ever tell Bosko that?" Dot said, softly.

"No, and I don't want to. He made my life a living hell," Bugs sighed. "I did try to give him money a few times before that, but he never took it. He was just so messed up that I figured it wasn't worth it. Besides, I'd rather not associate myself with a toon who came this close to killing me." Bugs held his thumb and pointer finger so close to each other that they were almost touching.

"How'd they catch him?" Wakko asked.

"Daffy and Foghorn came downstairs after they heard the shot. Foghorn grabbed him before he could get away. His trial happened so quickly that I was still on medical leave when it ended."

"I think Bosko was overreacting a bit." Wakko said slowly.

"A bit? The guy's totally crazy!" Yakko responded. "Who would shoot another toon just because he got gig at the studio he used to work at?"

"He just snapped after getting fired and got even worse from there. I couldn't tell you why." Bugs shrugged.

"Why'd he get fired?" Dot asked

"His popularity was down and he was always going to sleazy parties. Getting in a bar fight with Popeye didn't help him any with PR, either," a light drizzle had started and Wakko pulled his hat around so that the brim was keeping his face as dry as it could. He hugged his knees closer to his chest once the rain turned into a heavy downpour and watched Bugs look around the alley before standing up. "C'mon, It'll be more dry over there." he pointed to the wall of one of the buildings around them. The ground next to it seemed relatively untouched by the rain.

They sat down and huddled together against the scratchy brick wall. A trail of dry, green slime ran down the wall from the roof and stopped right below Wakko's neck. He pulled down his hat and leaned against the wall, trying to ignore the odd smell coming from the slime. The wind picked up and the rain continued to pour down, shifting direction so that it hit the Warners and Bugs square in the face.

The rain soaked through Wakko's clothes and then his fur. He watched as Bugs pulled out a blanket that was covered in a thick plastic on one side and what seemed to be wool on the other, as well as a box of crackers. Bugs handed a sleeve of crackers to Dot, Yakko, Wakko, and then to himself.

"You must have been an air raid warden or something in a past life. Are you always this prepared?" Yakko asked as he took a part of the blanket and tucked it under Dot's shoulders and knees, then Wakko's.

"It never hurts to be a bit prepared. And what can I say? You three look like drowned puppies," Bugs responded with a small chuckle. "You might want to take a page out of my book and pack a jacket or something back there. You never know when you'll need it." he sat back and placed a cracker in his mouth, looking around at their surroundings.

Wakko made a mental note to pack an emergency kit as soon as he was able to. If he had been separated from his siblings again, he'd say that he was worse off now than he was before. But, here he sat next to Dot, Yakko, and Bugs, and he trusted that Bugs would keep them away from trouble. He just hoped that everything would be back to normal soon.

Wakko opened the package of crackers and stuck a handful in his mouth. He crunched down on them and watched as the rain drops plopped onto the ground, puddle by puddle, one by one.

* * *

Bosko clutched the window frame as he stared out at the gray city below. He dug his fingers into the wood with so much force that jagged splinters dug into his skin. The bastards had screwed up so badly that all he wanted to do was yell until his throat was too raw for anymore sound to scrape through it. But Smokey had taken care of that already. Hell, he was surprised that the rats were still in one piece, let alone not inked. At least he wouldn't have to work with the dumb-asses again for awhile.

He turned around when he heard the door creak open. Gonzo walked in with his hands in his pockets and his hat sitting slightly askew on his head. He leaned against the far wall and stared at Bosko.

"Smokey gave me, you, and Oswald an assignment. Tango was gonna be on it, but, ah, you know. He's still in the infirmary." Gonzo said.

"What is it?" Bosko replied, shortly.

"He wants us to break a bunch of toons out of Clampett."

"Who?"

"He didn't say yet. Just that we needed to do it before the building was done being repaired." Gonzo said. He paused for a moment before continuing. "Are ya, you know, doin' ok?"

"Why would you care? You hate my guts." Bosko snorted.

"Well, they were so close to catchin' that bunny that I would expect you to be a little on edge about it. That and I figured you'd probably need comforting or therapy or whatever 'cause Oswald ain't here." Gonzo said in a borderline mocking tone.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but last time I checked, we don't work for Disney. That cheesy stuff doesn't stick too well around here."

"Just tryin' to help, asshole." Gonzo muttered. "But then again, what else should have I expected from you." a hint of bitterness clouded his tone and Bosko tensed up.

"I still don't see why you're so goddamn pissed off at me all the time." Bosko said.

"'Cause you're the biggest ass I know." Gonzo replied.

"Sure I'm a bit of an ass, but I've had your back since the first day they locked you up." Bosko retorted and pointed at him.

"Yeah, but I'm sick of being walked over all the time! The only toons who take me seriously around here are Smokey and Oswald. Even before now I've felt like you always looked down on me- like you don't think I can do anything. "

"Then stop whinin' for once. All you do is complain and it gets tiring to listen to all the time."

"Well I've got a lot to complain about!" Gonzo said, sounding flustered and angry. "But what would you know about that? It's all about you whenever you're around." Bosko was about to retaliate, but stopped himself and dug his nails into his palms.

"Look, I'm sorry you feel so 'misunderstood' or whatever, but we've got more important stuff to worry about right now."

"Like what? Some stupid bunny? The whole thing's a waste of time, if you ask me." Gonzo chided. Bosko sent him the deadliest glare he could manage and slowly moved towards him.

"Don't you dare go there. Don't you dare do that." he hissed.

"Whatever. Just meet us in Smokey's office in an hour." Gonzo muttered and left. Bosko kicked over a chair and sat down on the floor next to another smaller window. He stared at his reflection in a dusty mirror and glared. Gonzo had no idea what he'd been through, and he was in no place to judge Bosko over it.

Taking a swig from the bottle of whiskey on the floor next to him, Bosko leaned against the wall and turned his gaze back to the depressing city scene below.


	17. Chapter 17

**Thanks again for the favorites, follows, and reviews. I love to hear what you have to say, so please keep them coming!**

* * *

Wakko picked up the small, jagged piece of concrete sitting beside him and twiddled it between his fingers. Growing bored with staring at the rough, scratchy surface, he tossed it and watched it plop into a puddle with a splash. He was almost always able to find something mildly interesting to keep him from feeling bored, but nothing seemed to be able to distract him from the dullness and tension that had simultaneously plagued him for the past day.

They had ended up at the edge of Toontown, and while Yakko had wanted to cross over into the closest district, Bugs had decided it would be too risky. He said that if they were able to be found by toons in the human world, then it would be practically suicidal to go into an area completely populated by toons, especially with ones like Tango.

They were currently in the back alley behind a seedy Chinese food restaurant. Just about every person who had gone in the front door had their head down and hands in their pocket, and every person who came out was either counting money, holding some sort of questionable bag, or drunk. Dot was convinced that it was a gambling ring and Yakko swore it was a stop for drug trafficking, while Bugs had disagreed and said that it was a mob spot. Wakko thought it could be a combination of all three.

He wished they had stayed in the park where they were hiding a few hours ago. Although an occasional skunk would walk by the bush they were behind and they had almost sat in a patch of poison ivy, it had been much more pleasant than this alley that reeked of alcohol, marijuana, and some other indistinguishable but equally disgusting smell. But a little boy with his mother had quickly spotted them in the park and asked for their autographs, so he could see why the spot wasn't ideal.

Now they sat in a poorly constructed shack left behind by some homeless person or another. They couldn't talk very loud or else the people in the restaurant's kitchen would hear them, so they sat quietly against the rotting plywood. Dot had pulled Muffin out of her hammerspace and was combing through its coarse, matted fur with a plastic comb Bugs had given her. Bugs was sitting next to her doing a book of crossword puzzles, while Yakko was reading Dot's three month old copy of the "Toontown Telescope."

Yakko claimed that the only reason he was reading it was because he needed something to do, and laughing at the baloney the paparazzi came up with was at least mildly entertaining. Wakko could only smirk when he saw him hungrily staring at a picture of Cindy Crawford posing in a bikini with Chip and Dale at some Disney pool party promo.

Wakko, however, was stuck with nothing more than a blue bouncing ball that he found rolling in the bottom of his hammerspace to entertain him. He was cleaning it out the night before the rats broke in and had left most of what was in there on top of the dresser in his and Yakko's room.

Other than the photo album, his mallet, and a few other valuable items, he could only find the ball and a worn comic book to pull out and look at in an attempt to keep himself somewhat entertained. The story was dull and he had flipped through the pages so many times that he could recite every speech bubble from memory. Tossing it aside, he looked out onto the street through a crooked hole in the wood and watched people walk by the entrance to the alley.

One of the people traveling down the sidewalk was a woman who was yelling into her cell phone and animatedly waving her hands in the air. Another was an old man who was slowly strolling with his wife, taking caution with each step. Wakko stared at each person, wondering what their name was and why they were walking in the direction they were headed. Maybe it was somewhere important, maybe not. Who knew.

He was looking at a blue Mercedes that had pulled up in front of a convenient store across the street when an old duck toon caught his attention. He was wearing disheveled clothes and his tiny glasses sat askew on his beak. His gray hair was puffed out and sticking up in different directions as it clung to his balding head, and he was stumbling down the sidewalk, practically running into every pole and person in his path. Although Wakko couldn't hear what he was saying, he could see that he was muttering to himself.

"Who's that guy? He looks familiar." Wakko whispered and pointed to the duck through the mock window. Yakko, Bugs, and Dot looked up.

"That's Ludwig Von Drake, Donald's great-uncle," Bugs sighed. "He's one of the biggest nuts in Toontown."

"He looks lost." Dot said, concerned.

"He always does. Mickey said he's hell to work with. The guy knows string theory inside out like it's day old news, but couldn't remember a line to save his life." Bugs shook his head.

They watched him wander down the street until a large, white truck blocked their view. "I guess that's it for the show." Bugs said and pulled out his phone, which he'd found at the bottom of his hammerspace a few hours ago. He turned it on and stared at the screen.

"Any messages from Daffy and Foghorn yet?" Yakko asked.

"No. Nothing. This is probably going to die soon, too," Bugs said and looked down at the ground in front of him. "Even though they're probably the reason why I have so many migraines, I hope we find them soon. They keep things interesting, you know?" he chuckled with a sad smile.

"I'm sure we'll find them." Dot said and put a hand on his arm.

Wakko admired her optimism but was sad to say he didn't feel as hopeful. Everything he ever knew had been flipped upside down and he was forced to face things he never even wanted to imagine. Hopefully Foghorn's cell phone was only dead. Those things never really worked right, anyway.

"I hope you're right, kid." Bugs said and patted her hand before opening his crossword puzzle book again. He looked back down at the checkered page and started scratching in answers in red ink.

Wakko, annoyed that the truck was still blocking his view of the street, absentmindedly tossed the rubber ball in his hand up and down. He blocked out the worries that were poking at his mind and focused all of his attention on the ball. He never understood how he was usually able to clear his mind so easily, but was glad he could do it practically on command.

He had watched Yakko constantly stress out when they were younger and made a promise to himself that he would never be like that. Yakko had gotten better at masking his stress as he got older, and most of it was practically gone once the signed onto Warner Brothers, but Wakko still saw it come out every now and then.

Of course, Yakko had legitimate reasons to be so stressed and Wakko had his fair share of it, too, but he was usually able to escape it for a few minutes at the very least. He would just take a deep breath and his mind would be clear of all worries. Montana Max said it was because he was empty headed anyway. Dot said he was just weird like that.

He heard men's voices shouting as he continued to follow the movement of the ball. Probably just another bar fight, he thought. Why anyone would want to get shitfaced drunk at three in the afternoon, he didn't know.

"I really hate people," Yakko mumbled as the yelling got louder and looked up. He went to look back down at the magazine in his hands but did a double take and stared out the hole in the wall. "Wait, I think we have a code red."

Bugs shot up and looked outside, careful not to make any noise. Dot and Wakko crouched next to the window and stared out at the alley. Wakko's stomach sank when he saw a hoard of rats standing near the entrance.

"What are they doing here?" he asked.

"I don't know, but I don't think I want to find out." Dot responded.

"There! That's the girl and her dumb brother!" one of the rats yelled. He didn't realize how close they had gotten to the window and swore under his breath when he noticed the bright sunlight pouring over them. The rats started charging down the alley and Wakko took a step back, unsure of what to do.

"Wakko's not dumb!" Dot said with both fear and anger painted across her face.

"Ehh, you're right Dot, but I don't think I'd argue with them right now," Yakko said hesitantly and pulled her and Wakko next to him. He looked up at Bugs. "What's the plan, captain?"

"Ahh- I guess... up?" Bugs said and looked up at the ceiling. He looked up at the building next to them through the opening in the shack where the roof was supposed to be, since a skinny piece of soggy cardboard only covered half of it. "You kids can jump pretty high, right?"

"We live in a water tower." Wakko said flatly.

"Point taken, now c'mon!" Bugs said and motioned for them to jump.

All three of them coiled their tails and sprung into the air. Bugs followed them and just as they were flying through the air, the rats ran into the shack and shouted up at them. They landed on the roof of the building next to the Chinese restaurant and Bugs pushed them forward.

"Keep going over the rooftops and don't stop until I say to." he called out as his feet pounded against the shingles. Wakko didn't think he heard anyone behind them but didn't dare to turn around and check.

Wakko kept running as fast as he could. He jumped over one roof, then the next, but slipped up when his foot got caught on a drain pipe. In one swift motion, Bugs swooped down and brought him to his feet again, nudging him forward and calling out to them to hop down onto the roof of a porch once the rows of buildings started to dwindle.

He followed Bugs, landing on the porch roof and then the sidewalk with a thud. They leaned against the side of a boarded up building and Bugs peered out into the street.

"Do you see them?" Dot said through heavy breaths.

"No, I think we're okay. I'm pretty sure they weren't even on the roofs." Bugs said.

"Why can't they just leave us alone? I'm pretty sure I've never even met this Smokey guy, let alone tick him off to the point where he wants to kill me." Yakko shook his head.

"What can I say? Those guys are deranged," Bugs sighed. "C'mon, I don't want to hang around here."

They hastily walked down the sidewalk under a long line of trees that casted dark shadows over their bodies, helping them fade in with the dull surroundings. Wakko put his hands in his pockets and kept a vigilant eye on the area around them.

"Where are we going?" Dot whispered to Bugs.

"I'm still trying to figure that out, doc. Though I think I have a friend that lives around the corner who could help us."

They continued to move down the street quietly and quickly, and Wakko was thankful that it was practically deserted. Other than a muttering old man with long stringy hair in tattered pajama pants pushing a carriage full of bottles and cans, he was the only person around other than them.

"So who's this guy we're going to see?" Wakko asked.

"His name's Frank. I used to work with him years ago. He was in a lot of _Looney Tunes_ shorts before he left to join the Navy. I visit him and his wife every now and then. Nice couple." Bugs said. "I think his house is-" he turned the corner and stopped when he saw a group of about ten or twelve rats staring at him from only a few feet away.

Wakko's heart nearly lept out of his throat as he stared at them. They all looked bigger and tougher than the last rats they had dealt with, and a few were chuckling in deep, disconcerting rumbles once their gazes landed on them.

The fur on the back of his neck stood up when he saw Tango standing in the middle. He seemed to have a black eye, and his body was littered with bruises and scrapes that showed through his light fur. More rats came from behind and circled around them. Wakko gulped.

"There they are. And I thought they were gonna give me a show like last time," Tango said with a sly grin. "I have to say, you get less and less impressive every time I see you. I think you're losing some of your spark there, rabbit."

Wakko stood still, waiting to hear Bugs's response. When he looked up at him, he was surprised to find him looking practically frozen. The only thing that moved were his eyes, which were glancing around like he was trying to find an escape route that they all knew didn't exist.

"Hey Tango, can I tie 'em up? I have some extra rope in my hammerspace." one of the toons asked.

"Wait, I wanna do it! He said I could, remember?" another rat said. Wakko saw Bugs nudge Yakko's arm as they started squabbling.

"When I start digging, you grab them and follow me as fast as you can, alright?" he said so quietly that even Wakko, who was next to him, could barely hear him.

Yakko responded with a small nod. Wakko felt Yakko put an arm around him. Before he knew what had happened, Bugs dove into the ground and plowed through it so fast that he was nothing more than a blur. Yakko pulled him and Dot into it, moving as fast as he could to keep with the rabbit.

He heard the rats shouting and coughed as clouds of dirt filled his lungs. They had followed them into the hole and were becoming increasingly harder to see as the day light streaming in from the hole Bugs made became farther away.

Once it had become too dark to see anything at all, he felt Bugs and Yakko take a sharp turn and smiled when he heard the speeding rats crash into the side of the tunnel.

Bugs started to make a steady incline and broke through the ground. Pulling Yakko up by the collar of his shirt, he took Dot from him to help lighten his load and they tore off down the street, leaving mounds of broken pavement and scattered earth behind. Wakko was impressed by how well his brother was keeping up, but wished he could help him and Bugs in some way. He pretty much felt like dead weight at the moment.

They kept running down the deserted street at full force. The rats that had followed them into the tunnel were still behind them, but Bugs and Yakko continued to increase their speed and widen the gap between them and the rodents.

They were just about to lose them when Wakko looked back and saw Bugs on the ground next to a large pothole with one arm still around a frightened Dot and the other clutching his ankle. Yakko must not have seen it happen, since he was still running at full speed.

"Yakko, stop! Something's wrong with Bugs!" he called to his brother just as they were about to turn a corner.

He made a sudden halt, panting and sweating profusely as he looked back. His eyes widened when he saw that the rats were almost next to Bugs and Dot, and took off towards them. But Wakko noticed his stamina was starting to drain, since he wasn't going as fast as he was a few moments ago, and was praying that he'd be able to get them in time. He didn't know what they would do once they got to them, but they'd figure it out. They had to.

His heart sank when a group of rats led by Tango came to a halt beside Bugs and Dot. Tango and one of the bigger rats roughly grabbed Bugs so that he couldn't break free of their grip, while another ripped Dot away from Bugs by the scruff of her neck and held her under his arm. Wakko could tell that Yakko was doing his best to keep up, but his panting had turned to heaving and he was struggling to maintain his speed, let alone go faster.

"Yakko, put me down! You'll go faster that way." Wakko shouted.

"Good- thinking. Just- stay- here." Yakko said between breaths and let go of him.

As soon as Wakko's feet hit the ground he took off, ignoring Yakko's protests coming from behind him. While he couldn't toonspeed nearly as fast as Yakko, he pumped his legs as hard as he could and sprinted towards Dot and Bugs.

He was tired of running away, tired of hiding. If those jerks wanted to take his sister away from him, they'd have to deal with him first. He'd be damned if his family was separated again.

A truck screeched around a corner and stopped next to Tango and his gang. Wakko was getting closer and sped up, ignoring the burning pain in his legs.

He watched the rats throw Dot and Bugs in the back of the van. Just as they were about to close the doors, Wakko jumped up and held onto the bumper of the van. He was about to pull himself up into the back when a large foot shot out of the van and kicked him in the face, sending him to the ground.

"What are ya doing!" he heard one of the voices call out from inside the van.

"Just drive! We don't got all day." the rat scowled at him and slammed the doors shut.

Wakko clutched his head and sat up, but before he could do anything to stop them, the van sped away around a corner and headed into a labyrinth of side streets. Yakko came up beside him and dropped down to his knees, grabbing his shoulder. He didn't say anything for a moment, only staring at the spot where the van had just been. Finally, with a devastated expression, he turned to Wakko.

"Are you alright?" he said through a strained and scratchy throat. Wakko shook his head slowly and Yakko pulled him in for a tight hug.

He was so angry and upset that he didn't know what to do. He had been so close to catching up to them that he was kicking himself for not going faster. He wanted to be mad at Yakko for getting tired and mad at Bugs for falling. But in the end, he couldn't blame either of them. Bugs and Yakko did the best they could and so did he.

He wanted Dot and Bugs to be next to him so badly that it hurt. But no one was there to guide them, and no one was there for them to protect. He and Yakko were alone again.

* * *

Tango had been gone for about two days, and Bosko was tempted to kill him the moment he came back.

What idiot would let that goddamn bunny get away, yet alone call his boss and tell him what had happened? Bosko was going to lay it into him over the phone, but Smokey had gotten to him first. The rat had been so mad that he demanded that Mozes, Shorty, and the rest of those dumbass kids come back to base immediately and sent more experienced guys in their place.

Smokey had thought they could handle a mission like that, but obviously he had been wrong. Bosko was surprised he had even let them go in the first place. Those kids were some of the biggest idiots he knew.

He almost felt bad for what Smokey did to them, but was so angry that he was almost pleased they had to spend a month in the boiler room. No one wanted to be where they made the Ink, since the vats sometimes exploded and the job was extremely physically demanding and dangerous. Thirty guys had gotten inked when a vat overflowed last week, and already seven toons had accidentally been exposed to the Ink while making it this week.

Although it reacted best through injection, the new type of Ink that they had recently developed made it so that any kind of physical contact with the Ink would eventually result in the same effects as injections. With no antidote to the Ink, no one wanted to take the risk and be stuck down there. That and the room was hot as hell.

Bosko was glad he was given more important tasks than making Ink, since he was once of Smokey's right hand toons, after all. But he was annoyed that Smokey didn't send him to catch the bunny, since that was the main reason why he was here.

Every mission he had gone on had been successful, his last one especially. He, Oswald, Pete, and several other toons had broken into what was left of Clampett and helped some of Toontown's most notorious criminals break out, along with anyone willing to join them. If he could do that without anything going wrong, why the hell wouldn't the rat assign him to catch that damned bunny?

He tried to tell that to Smokey, but he insisted that he was more suited for other assignments. When he told he was going to Clampett, Bosko said that he wasn't too keen on going back there, that it wasn't a place he wanted to remember. The rat insisted, and Bosko didn't want to make him any angrier than he already was.

It was odd being back. The place he had been stuck in for almost forty years was growing into a distant memory in his mind. Going back and seeing the walls that had scoffed at him and the guards who had laughed at him for so long was unsettling.

For a split second, he almost thought about turning around when he saw the damaged jail appear over the hilltops, but remembering the reason that was keeping him out of there made him push forward.

The quicker he got that rabbit, and the quicker Smokey got what he wanted, the quicker he'd truly be a free man.

He picked up the newspaper at his feet and flipped through its pages. Most of "The Toontown Times" now consisted of stories about missing people, runaways, and Smokey's growing role in the city. Just yesterday, the paper reported that the mayor and much of the city council had fled to the human world, leaving more room for Smokey to spread his influence.

Bosko was just about to turn to the sports section when he heard a knock at his door. Standing up, he placed the paper on his bed and opened the door. Oswald was standing there with several other toons standing behind him.

"We got them." he said with a breath.

A crooked smile stretched across his face as he processed the news. For the first time in a very, very long time, he felt decades' worth of aggravation, depression, and anger roll off his shoulders. Smiling, he followed Oswald out the door.

Things could only go up from here.


	18. Chapter 18

Yakko leaned against a brick wall while picking at the frayed ends of his gloves. It had been almost a day now since Dot and Bugs had been taken by the rats, and each moment since had been filled with pain, frustration, and anger boiling inside of him.

They might still be here if he had run a little faster or tried just a little harder to save them. But he hadn't, and he had never been so mad at himself before. Things were just starting to feel somewhat normal again. They had regular meals, had a place to temporarily call home, and most importantly, they were all together.

Now he was here, back at square one. They were at yet another shabby convenient store in another run down part of town. He had bought a small amount of food with the little cash he had left, since he didn't dare use the credit card after what happened last time, while Wakko waited outside and looked at the cracked sidewalk from behind a overgrown shrub with an empty stare.

Yakko knew his brother could be a quiet kid, but not like this. He was pretty sure that he had only heard him say three words in the past six hours alone, with two of them being "I'm fine" when he asked him if his head still hurt.

He had tried to get Wakko to talk, but the soft grunt he received from his brother confirmed that that wasn't going to happen. Besides, Yakko was the last person who wanted to emulate Scratchy's annoying, prodding tendencies.

He knew better than anyone else that if Wakko didn't want to talk, he wasn't going to say a word no matter how much you tried to get him to. The only time he would open up was when he was ready to.

But watching his brother reflect the pain that clenched at Yakko's own heart was unbearable. At least they had hope the first time they were separated from their sister. They weren't really being targeted by crazy rats then, and they knew that she was at least alive. Now, all they knew was that she was stuck with a bunch of violent, crazy lunatics.

He just didn't know what to do.

Letting out a small sigh, Yakko stared down at the copy of the L.A. Times he had picked up in the store, lazily scanning the bold headlines. One read _Boy Scouts to Plant Trees in Burn Areas_ while another said _The Rodney King Trials: Its Effects Two Years Later._ He was about to flip the page when the last headline in the right hand corner caught his attention.

 _Toontown in Turmoil Thanks to Gang Boss._

He raised his eyebrow. Human papers hardly ever covered Toontown, or even toons in general. Shaking the paper to smooth out it's wrinkles, he started reading while Wakko munched quietly on a potato chip beside him.

 _In the several months since one of the most deadly and destructive earthquakes in the southwest's history, Toontown has been declared a code three crisis by California state officials after Toontown's mayor Doris Gunder and city council fled to Burbank last week._

 _Hundreds of toons have been reported missing, and Toontown's police department has dealt with three times as many reports of robberies and arson than they have seen in the past decade alone._

 _"The situation has become out of our control," said the head of the state's Toon and Human Relations Department Stephanie Hellman. "Toontown's emergency forces are still doing their best to stop the violence, but so far nothing has worked. We're hoping the support of the L.A. Police Department will help us bring order back to the city."_

 _Several of the city's districts have been evacuated due to the damaged caused by vandals, convicts, and known gang members who have been linked to the group supposedly responsible for the crisis. Over 300 toons have been hospitalized after being attacked, and almost 70 toons, all males between the ages of 16 and 50,_ _have been found dead throughout the city by authorities. Many of the districts and neighborhoods where they were found are now marked as high risk areas for attacks. For the list of these areas, see page 5..._

Yakko ignored the next few lines and skimmed to the bottom. He sighed when he read the last few sentences on the page.

 _Authorities believe that the mastermind behind the attacks_ _and destruction is Smokey, a Toontown criminal who has been dubbed the city's "last hope" by many of his supporters. If the public has any information about this toon and his whereabouts, please call ..._

Yakko shut the newspaper and placed the back of his head against the wall. He closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind, but found it impossible to block out the frustratingly painful thoughts scratching at his brain. It's not like he didn't know about anything he just read, but seeing it written out in front of him only reaffirmed the stress and anxiety that was bubbling inside his stomach.

He sifted through his mind to find some sort of tranquil thought that could help distract him from the problems he faced. He managed to relax slightly after a few minuets, but the small amount of peacefulness that had taken the edge off of his worry was suddenly erased when a loud crash made him jump and stand up straight.

"What's that?" Wakko asked fearfully as several metal trash bins clanged against the pavement.

"I don't know, Wak. Just be ready to run."

* * *

Dot opened her eyes slowly and blinked when a dim glow met her eyes. She wanted to clutch her head as her brain pounded against her skull, but a coarse rope was cutting against her wrists and kept her hands tightly restrained behind her back.

She felt sore all over and it hurt to move. The back of her throat tickled and the skin on her wrists burned from the rope, and it hurt to keep her eyes open for much longer than a few seconds. After taking several deep breaths, Dot opened her eyes and looked around at the stark stone cell she was sitting in.

 _Where am I?_ She thought. The last thing she could remember was sitting behind some shady Chinese restaurant with Bugs and her brothers. Then they were running for some reason, but she couldn't remember why. Granted, her and her brothers ran around a lot- whether it be from Ralph or Plotz or whoever they dubbed their "special friend" for that day- and she had a sick feeling that whatever happened to her then was what caused her to land where she was now.

"Dot?"

She whipped her head to the side and instantly regretted it when her neck tensed up with pain. Trying to ignore it, she looked at the wall next to her and saw Bugs with shackles on his feet and his hands tied behind his back. Looking down, she noticed that she had her own pair of shackles adorning her ankles along with a thin metal bracelet.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I don't know... I can't remember much. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think so. Are you?" she said, wondering if he felt as sore as she did. He looked around the room and then down at his shackles.

"Yeah, but what were-" he was interrupted by a loud clang coming from outside the cell. She started to panic.

"What's going on? Where are we?" she asked, trying to hide the fear that threatened to drip into her voice.

"I don't know. I've been trying to get out of these things for about fifteen minutes now and no matter what I do, I can't." he said with a hint of frustration and panic.

The rusted door on the far wall opened with a bang and several large rats sauntered in along with three smaller toons behind him. She looked up into the eyes of one of the larger rats and suddenly she remembered. They had been running from Tango.

Another rat stepped in front of him and looked down at her. Dot inhaled sharply when Smokey's cold stare met her eyes. Her heart raced and her mouth went dry when she was greeted with the same hard glare that had struck fear in her the first time they met.

She turned and stared at Tango. The furious glimmer that had clouded his stare at Bugs's house didn't glow as brightly, and he stayed in the shadows of the other toons rather than leading the pack as he had before.

Now as she looked into his eyes, she remembered running with her brothers and Bugs from him on the border of Burbank and Toontown. They had been keeping a low profile in the days after they were forced out of Bugs's home and separated from Daffy and Foghorn, and had almost outran the rats when Dot felt something sharp pierce the skin on the back of her neck.

She faintly remembered landing on the pavement with Bugs sprawled out beside her and suddenly feeling too tired to even sit up. After that, everything was too foggy to remember. Now she sat here in the musty cell with no brothers in sight, a bunch of real life bad guys, and a rabbit who, since the first time they met, couldn't get them out of trouble.

She looked over at Bugs. A faint, green tinge had painted itself on his face behind his layer of white fur. His eyes were set firmly on the toon beside one of the smaller rats, and a similar effect washed over her when she followed his gaze and found Bosko smiling down at him with a twisted grin.

"Well, look at this! Look at who it is. How ya doin' Looney? It's been a while, mmh?" Bosko laughed. Bugs continued to stare at him in silence. "What, no happy reunion?" Bugs kept his lips firmly pressed against one another and Bosko turned to the inky black and white toon next to him. "It's been decades since I've seen him and he treats me like I'm invisible or something. Can you believe some toons?"

"Well I'd be a little shocked too, if I were him. You're not usually one for friendly conversation." the toon casually replied. He looked between Dot and Bugs before turning back to mutter something into a rat's ear.

"You don't give me enough credit, Oswald," Bosko said. "I love getting to know people. Especially when we have so much in common." he crossed his arms and smirked down at Bugs, who stayed silent.

"For such a gabby little bunny, you sure are quiet." Tango said.

"It's a shame. I was really looking forward to having a chat with you today," Smokey stepped forward. "I wonder if he's feelin' alright. What about you, kid? How you feelin'?" he turned to face Dot and smirked when he looked down at her.

She tried to look around Smokey to see Bugs, but couldn't. Taking a deep breath, she followed Bugs's lead and kept her lips firmly pressed against each other.

"You should know that it's rude to ignore company, sweetheart. But then again, I shouldn't be surprised. Looney here isn't much of a good influence. Just takes whatever he wants without thinking of anyone else but himself. Isn't that right, Bosko?" Smokey said.

"Damn straight." Bosko replied, glaring at Bugs.

"And it's too bad he's not in a sociable mood. I have I favor I wanted to ask him." Smokey said.

"Not a chance." Bugs spoke up for the first time since they had entered the cell. Smokey raised an eyebrow and came closer to him.

"Oh come on, Looney. You're not even gonna hear me out first?"

"No."

"Well that's too bad... That's really too bad." Smokey came closer to Dot. He reached out towards her and she cringed away, any resilience she had left quickly fading.

She clenched her eyes shut when she felt Smokey's hand tug on her ears and undo the bow that sat loosely on her head. When she felt the hands pull away, she looked up at him as he stroked the dirty satin with his thumb.

"You really don't have a choice at this point," Smokey said as he stared down at her bow. He chuckled before a serious expression replaced the smirk on his face. "I'm going to be frank with you, Loony. I'm aiming to fix Toontown."

"Fix? What do you mean fix? It's fine the way it is- or at least the way it was before you started messing it up." Bugs snorted.

"Hold on, rabbit. He ain't done yet." Tango said.

"Thank you, Tango," Smokey said to the rat before turning back to Bugs. "I ain't here to argue with you. But I know what I've seen and I sure as hell can't say I like it. Every toon used to be respected back when we first started out in Hollywood. Sure, some were more talented than others, but that's how life works. If every toon could throw the same god damned pie as far as you and I can, then how would we be special?"

"What are you getting at, doc?" Bugs said with a raised eyebrow, his lips pulled into a firm line. His stony eyes were flickering back and forth between Dot's bow and the smirk on Smokey's face.

"What I'm getting at, 'doc,' is that some toons are held above the rest and treated like they're gods or something. And when a toon isn't as 'perfect' or isn't as 'special' enough, he gets thrown out like a piece of old meat. The humans think most of us are just jokes, like we're mistakes. They just throw us aside and laugh at us when we hit the ground."

"That's not true." Bugs said.

"Oh yeah? Tell that to Bosko. You know, the toon whose life you ruined." Smokey tossed his head towards Bosko, whose glare hadn't softened one bit since the rat had started speaking.

"Ruined? How'd I ruin his life? He's the one who attacked me!" Bugs's voice rose.

"You stole my job at Warner Brothers. If it weren't for you, I'd still have a spot at the studio!" Bosko seethed.

"That had nothing to do with me- that was all you!"

"How dare you try to-" Bosko started to charge at Bugs but was restrained by one of the rats and Oswald.

"C'mon boys, play nice," Smokey smirked, not seeing the pout Bosko sent him. "Though Bosko's right. Toons like you have been ruining everyone's lives for years. You take opportunities away from honest toons who actually deserve them, and take all the credit for the hard work the rest of us have put in to make toons seem like we're something more than just goofy ink blots.

"Thanks to our methods of... persuasion, the government is in scrambles, and we have the support of thousands. But right now we're just a movement, not a successful revolution. I need to fix this, and who better to ask for help than the toon who helped screw it up in the first place. A lot of toons worship you. I can't tell why, but they do. If I can get you to help convince them that our cause is worth supporting, then I'll finally have enough power to make permanent changes to Toontown."

"What cause? You're all insane, bitter wash-ups who ruined your careers yourself. I'd never help you." Bugs spat.

"Hmm. I figured you'd say that," Smokey moved towards Dot once again and kneeled down beside her. He hugged her side against his grimy shirt, still staring at Bugs. She tried to squirm out of his strong grip, but he tightened it each time she jerked. A strong wave of cigarette smelling breath filled her nose when he laughed at her pointless struggle.

"This is a cute kid you got here, rabbit. Don't want to see anything bad happen to her, do we?" he said, pulling her closer to him. Dot's heart was racing and she nervously bit down on her lip. She had never wanted to be anywhere else more badly in her entire life.

"Don't you dare." Bugs growled. Smokey simply laughed.

"Don't get your tail in a twist, Looney. She'll be fine as long as you cooperate. But if you don't-" he squeezed down on her shoulder and a small yelp escaped her lips as pain rushed down her arm.

"Stop- don't hurt her!" Bugs pleaded, the hardness melting off his face as panic quickly replaced it.

"What do you say, rabbit? Care to join us?" Smokey chuckled.

Bugs paused for a moment and looked back and forth between Smokey and Dot. The tension that weighed down on him was evident in his expression. Dot held her breath as she waited to hear what he would say. She didn't want to spend one more second near the rat, but also didn't want Bugs to be sucked into Smokey's twisted world. After several more moments of empty silence, he finally spoke up.

"Fine. But you'd better keep your promise." he said.

"Don't worry, Looney. Just do what I say and everything will be a-okay," Smokey stood up and let go of Dot. She let out a silent sigh as he made his way towards the door. "I need you three with me." he pointed at Oswald, Bosko, and a fox who had stayed in the corner of the room throughout the time Smokey had been here.

"But I need to-" Bosko started.

"You need to come with me. I have some things we need to go over," he demanded. Bosko looked at him with a stony stare but reluctantly followed him out the door after sending Bugs another glower. Smokey turned to Tango just as he was about to leave the cell. "You know what to do." he said and left, closing the door behind him.

"Sure thing boss." Tango said, pulling two small darts out of his hammerspace. Dot raised an eyebrow at him when he looked down at her and Bugs.

"What's that?" she asked wearily.

"Some sorta tranquilizer darts. We had to use 'em on you when you were running. Not gonna lie, you're damn fast," Tango said. "Good thing Shorty here is a good shot. Though it's just about the only thing he's good at..." he grunted, ignoring the glare from the toon next to him. "And I have to say, seeing you flop on the ground like that just about made my day."

"Are they the reason why I can't get into my hammerspace?" Bugs said.

"Nah, that's the bracelets we picked up at Clampett. They make it so you can't do any of that kind of stuff," Tango said, pointing to the metal rings around their ankles. "And they're impossible to get out of, so don't get any ideas." he moved towards Bugs while one of the other rats came towards Dot, making her heart race even faster.

"You won't feel it a bit, kid." the rat said with a chuckle.

He stuck out the dart and she flinched away, bitter memories of the orphanage rushing through her mind. She could feel the sharp tip rip through the skin on her arm and she groaned. Her eyesight began to blur and the last thing she remembered seeing was Bugs's equally disoriented face as Shorty stuck the other dart into his arm. With a few final groggy blinks, Dot shut her eyes and cringed as the cold liquid pulled her into a restless sleep.

* * *

Bosko shut the door and followed the others down the dark hallway. He took a deep breath as he tried to ignore the moans, grunts, and snores coming from the other prisoners, moving in an a robot like rhythm due to the heavy thoughts swirling in his mind.

It had felt odd to see the rabbit after all these years. He had created so many different scenarios and so many different things he could have said that would have loosened the decades worth of hate and resentment that curled around his heart. But the moment he looked into the rabbit's eyes, every carefully planned retort or declaration had vanished from his mind.

Though it didn't even matter in the end. Smokey had cut him off before he managed to really say anything, anyway.

"Take a seat." Smokey said once they arrived at his office and pointed to the leather chairs in front of his desk. Bosko and Oswald sat down while Gonzo stood behind them.

"How long will this take?" Gonzo said. "I promised some of the boys I'd help them with the assignment you gave them yesterday."

"Not long. I just want to go over a few things." he said and leaned back in his chair. He looked between Oswald and Bosko before continuing. "I want to make sure that neither of you mess with that bunny unless I say so. I'd prefer it if you didn't make any contact with him for the time bein'."

"What?" Bosko sputtered, dumbfounded. Who did Smokey think he was telling him this? The rabbit was his problem, and had been for the last 40 years. He had gone through hell to finally see this moment. If he had to wait that long to finally have the cards in his corner, he'd be damned if someone tried to take them all away from him now.

"Don't worry, Bosko. You'll still get your way with the rabbit after I'm done with him." Smokey put his hand up.

"After you're done with him? I've waited too damn long for you to keep him from me." Bosko yelled.

"I don't want to make things any harder for you, really I don't. It's just that I have him right where I need him, and I can't risk jeopardizing that at the moment," Smokey said. "Just think of the big picture."

Bosko stared at him with a hard glare for a long, tense moment. Finally unable to look at the smirk on Smokey's face any longer, Bosko stood up and stormed towards the door.

"Hold on there, Bosko." Smokey called out.

Bosko turned his head just enough so that he could look into the his eyes. Any hint of sympathy in Smokey's eyes had been covered by an icy glower. He had never looked so intimidating, and Bosko would have spared him his furious glare had the rat not made him so angry.

"You heard what I said, right?" he said in a quiet, gravelly voice. Bosko continued to look at him with the same intensity as before, refusing to cower under the rat's harsh glare.

"Loud and clear." he said coldly.

With that, he turned and left, slamming the door behind him. Only after he was halfway down the hall did he notice that Oswald had followed him out of the room. He slowed down to let Oswald catch up, but remained quiet as they walked. Bosko eventually spoke up once he noticed that Oswald held his head down low and kept his hands firmly situated inside of his pockets.

"What's up with you?" he asked as the anger in his voice faded away.

"Nothin'. I'm fine."

"C'mon, I can tell when something's not right with you. What's really wrong?" Bosko asked and watched as Oswald hesitated.

"I didn't think there would be a kid with him," he sighed. "I know that Smokey had mentioned it, but I never thought he'd actually followed through."

"Well how else do you expect us to get him to do what we want? He's a stubborn son of a bitch."

"I know, but she's so young." Oswald sighed.

"So what? You think the rabbit thought about that?" Bosko spat. Why should he care about some kid?

"I don't like him either Bosk, but it just doesn't feel right." Oswald responded after staying quiet for a moment.

"What do you think we should do then? Throw him a tea party and expect him to start kissin' our feet?"

"No... I don't know what we should do, but I don't think we should be draggin' her into this. It's not fair to her."

"Not fair to her? What about not fair to us, the two toons who got thrown away to rot in jail?" Bosko shook his head. "We need her to get to him, so just drop it."

"You're missing the point, Bosko." Oswald grabbed his shoulder. Bosko shrugged out of his grip and stepped back.

"I said to drop it." he snarled in a low voice. Turning away from his friend, he made his way towards the dented double doors at the end of the hallway and sulked into the shadows.


	19. Chapter 19

**I can't believe it's been a year since I started this project... it literally feels like I only just started writing "Bow and Ears," and already we're at chapter 19. Thanks to everyone who has been here since the beginning, and to everyone who has joined in along the way. Hopefully you'll all still be** **here to see what I still have in store for you, since there's still more to come with this story!**

 **And please keep dropping favorites, follows, and reviews! I love to hear what you guys have to say, even if it's just to say hi!**

* * *

Yakko stood up and moved in front of his brother as the grunts grew louder. He put a hand on Wakko's shoulder and was just about to take off down the street when he heard two voices that made him freeze in his tracks.

"Stand up boy, you keep tripping over yourself," the voice boomed. "Though I can see why with those giant- I say- giant flippers you're wearing."

"Those are my feet!"

"No wonder why you keep tripping then." Yakko heard a chuckle.

"You're despicable."

Yakko looked down at Wakko with a raised eyebrow, who looked as equally confused and surprised as he did.

"Follow me." he whispered.

They crouched towards the voices and stopped behind a cracked cement wall. Slowly, Yakko poked his head out and grinned when he saw Foghorn hunched over a rusty dumpster with Daffy impatiently tapping his foot behind him, his arms crossed.

"What's taking you so long? Let's go see them!" Wakko whispered and nudged him forward.

"Wait a sec, Wak. I need a laugh." Yakko grinned and looked at the toons in front of them.

"You done yet, Big Bird?" Daffy said impatiently.

"Hold on, hold on. I think I found something... see, look here! Enough pizza for the both of us!" Foghorn whipped out of the bin and knocked into Daffy.

The duck jumped backwards with a yelp, his arms flailing in the air as he tried to stay balanced and avoid the flock of feathers that threatened to knock him down. He steadied himself and hesitantly peered into the soggy box Foghorn was holding.

"Uhh, I don't think that's pizza..."

"What do you mean? It's got crust and sauce, and the cheese looks real to me!" Foghorn exclaimed.

"Ok, maybe it is. But on a scale from barf to edible, how appetizing do you find this 'pizza' when there's a tail sprouting out of the pepperoni?" Daffy raised an eyebrow.

"It's food ain't it! I oughta- wait, hold on. You hear that?" Foghorn said when Wakko unsuccessfully tried to suppress a cough behind him.

"Hear what?" Daffy said.

"Just stay still, boy."

Figuring they should show themselves before Foghorn blew them up with the biggest stick of dynamite he could pull out of his hammerspace, Yakko started to shift his weight and motioned for Wakko to do the same. He stood up and was greeted with a face full of banana cream pie when he turned the corner. Shocked, he stumbled backwards and almost tipped over before a giant fist grabbed a handful of his shirt and lifted him in the air.

"Gotcha you damn rodent- wait, Yakko?" Foghorn said with wide eyes.

"Hey Foghorn." Yakko meekly waved.

"Daffy, look who's here! Where's the rest of you?"

"Hi." Wakko gave a small smile as he came out from where Yakko was standing, wiping off some of the cream that got on his shirt. Foghorn chuckled and scanned the area around them. Daffy was also craning his neck to see better around the ally.

"Glad to see you're still in one piece boys, but where are Bugs and your sister?" Foghorn asked.

"We sort of lost them." Wakko murmured and looked down as he picked at his gloves.

"Lost them? How did you lose them!" Daffy panicked.

"Calm down- I say- calm down," Foghorn nudged him. "What happened?"

"We were chased from Bugs's house and got away, but they- ah- were taken by a bunch of rats a few days later." Yakko stammered.

"What?" Daffy whispered. "No no no no... this can't be happening..." he grabbed his head and weakly looked at the ground like he was about to lose his stomach. Foghorn tensed up and looked straight ahead past their heads.

"We tried to call, but he wouldn't pick up his phone," Foghorn muttered. "I thought for sure we'd find you after we got out of Bugs' house. We tried- I say- tried but everywhere we went we saw the damn rodents or were stuck ." Yakko nodded his head and picked at his gloves. They stayed quiet for a moment until Daffy solemnly spoke up.

"What are we gonna do?" he sighed. Yakko looked down at his feet. Any hope he had to get back Dot and Bugs after finding Daffy and Foghorn was quickly fading.

"Well, at least you boys are alright," Foghorn patted them both on the back and put a hand on each of their shoulders. "Though I wonder how we're gonna find the little lady and the bunny.

"Let's retrace our steps." Wakko offered. Yakko was pleasantly surprised to finally hear his brother speak, and gave him a small, reassuring smile.

"What? You mean go back into neighborhoods that are oozing with rodents?" Daffy said.

"Well how else do you s'pose we'll find them? By staying here and looking through a telescope? No thank- I say- no thank you."

"It's not like we're going to stumble upon them sitting on a park bench or something." Daffy sighed.

"I know that, but at least it's a start. What else do we have to go on?" Yakko said.

"Why don't we just ask around where their hideout is? I'm sure somebody knows." Wakko said.

"Sure, because when you're hiding from someone the first thing you should do is go around and tell everyone what you're up to and where you are." Yakko said.

"I don't know about asking the first Joe Schmo on the street where they might be, but I guess we can go see what we can find. Though if I become some rat's dinner I'm coming back to haunt you." Daffy huffed and pointed at Foghorn.

"And I wouldn't have it any other way," Foghorn chuckled. "C'mon, let's get going."

"Ehh, before we do that do you happen to have a towel or a rag or something? I don't think I want to be stuck with pie filling all over my face for the rest of the day." Yakko asked.

"Sure, boy. Sorry again for the misunderstanding," Foghorn reached into his hammerspace and pulled out a wrinkled blue cloth. "Saw the black fur and thought you were one of them rats."

"It's alright, though I have to say that this pie thing is starting to become a cliche." Yakko said.

"We're toons, what do you expect? A bouquet of flowers shoved in your face or instead?" Foghorn chuckled.

"Preferably, yes." Daffy muttered.

"Where would the humor in that be? That would be no fun- I say- no fun at all." Foghorn shook his head. "Now, why don't we get going before a real rat finds us, hmm?"

* * *

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._

The drops of water plopped onto a pipe and echoed off of the cell's concrete walls as Dot slowly came to. A mouse squeaked in the corner and a metal door slammed somewhere off in the distance. She blinked open her eyes and her blurry vision came into focus.

Bugs was sitting against the wall beside her, his eyes still closed. She squinted her eyes to see through the dim light and was surprised to find a small man sitting across from her. His large under bite hanged low and his eyes were frozen on a spot above Dot's head. She sent him a small wave but he continued to stare at the wall in a trance like state.

Dot put her hand down and raised an eyebrow. Along with seeming completely oblivious to everything, his entire body was gray.

She looked closer at him and thought that he might be Boris Badenov or Rocky due to his pale, tense features. She concluded the latter was correct when she saw the giant toon sitting next to him with a massive arm around his shoulders, and who was unmistakably Mugsy.

Unlike the smaller man, Mugsy had bright, colored features and was shifting restlessly in his sleep. But what surprised Dot the most was to find Porky and Plotz sitting against the wall on the other side of him.

Plotz sat curled up in a ball. His face was pulled into a tight frown and he was muttering a slur of words Dot couldn't understand. Porky sat motionless next to him, and like Rocky, his chubby pink features had been replaced by a dull gray shadow and his stare was also focused on the wall above Dot's head.

"Bugs?" she called through a scratchy voice as she started to panic at the state of the toons in front of her. He didn't answer. "Bugs!" she said louder and rattled her shackles. Finally, the rabbit slowly opened his eyes and turned towards her.

"Wha- what's wrong doc?" Bugs stammered, trying to find his voice and rubbing one of his eyes.

"Look!" she jerked her head towards the toons in front of them.

"Porky? Plotz?" Bugs croaked in a dry, strained voice, flabbergasted at who he saw. "When did they get here?"

"I don't know... but I think we're in a different cell. I'm pretty sure Rocky and Mugsy are here too," Dot said slightly above a whisper. "But look at Porky and Rocky. What's wrong with them?"

"I'm not sure," Bugs coughed. "The only time I've seen a toon like this was when we were walking to my house from the bus. The guy we stopped to help was found on a park bench, and he looked, well- just like them." he nodded towards the toons on the other side of the cell.

He looked like he was about to say something else when he erupted into a fit of loud, hollow coughs that ricocheted off of the walls. Plotz's murmuring became louder as Bugs continued to cough until he abruptly sat up and stared at the rabbit with frightened, bloodshot eyes. The CEO gaped at them for a long moment before finally speaking up in a cracked, stressed voice.

"You're not supposed to be here."

"Nice to see you too, Mr. Plotz." Dot rolled her eyes.

"Are you alright doc? You look terrible- what did they do to you?" Bugs asked, concerned.

"No, you shouldn't be here... you- you need to go." he stammered and shakily shifted towards them.

"Well I'd love to just get up and waltz out of here, but it seems that prior plans might have tied us up for the evening." Bugs scoffed.

"Bosko is here- you can't let him see you! He'll kill you!" Plotz frantically waved his arms in the air; his shackles' rattling made Mugsy stir in his sleep.

"So I've been told," Bugs rolled his eyes. "Now, will you just calm down long enough to tell us if you're alright and how the hell you ended up here? Because last time I checked, this place isn't exactly your office."

"I'm fine, but Porky- there's something wrong with him. He won't eat, talk, or even move. He just sits there and doesn't even blink!"

"I can see that. What happened?" Bugs said.

"They were threatening us, saying that we'd regret it if we didn't do what they wanted and I couldn't take it. He wouldn't talk so I did, and- and well, that's how he ended up like that."

"What do you mean 'talked'?" Bugs raised an eyebrow.

"Bugs, I'm sorry! Really I am!" he started to sob.

"I'll ask again. What did you say?" Bugs' sore voice became even lower. Dot's heartbeat was rapidly pounding against her chest as she waited for Plotz's reply.

"I- I told them about the key I have to your back door in my office. I didn't think they'd actually catch you... They know things I thought only I knew, and I couldn't let it get out or else I'd be ruined."

"Ruined? You're ruined? Look at what you did! Because of you a six year old is locked up in a moldy old cell in God knows where with a bunch of deranged criminals who want to kill us!" Bugs yelled, making his voice become weaker. "And how did you get that key?"

"You left some paperwork we needed for a revision of your contract in your kitchen a few years ago. You said I could borrow one of Foghorn's keys. Remember? You were away and weren't going to be back in time to get everything in before the deadline."

"And I told you to give it back to him! Why did you keep it?"

"I don't know... I thought if there was an emergency the studio might need it," Plotz wailed. "I'm sorry!"

"Yeah, an emergency..." Bugs spat.

"Shh! Will yous keep it down! Rocky's tryin' ta sleep!" Mugsy shouted and Dot jumped. She hadn't realized he was awake.

"For the last time, he's not sleeping!" Plotz snapped. "He's practically a zombie, so stop trying to fix him!"

Mugsy glared at the CEO before his eyes welled up with tears and his lips started to tremble. He looked down at Rocky and a strangled sob erupted from his throat.

"Don't yell at him like that!" Dot growled at Plotz. She turned to Mugsy and softened her expression. "I'm sure he'll be okay." she said, not fully convinced that what she said was true. But she felt a little bit better when Mugsy gave her a small smile, making some of the darkness fade away from his features.

The door opened and she flinched when a stream of light poured over her face. She saw the dark forms of three rats through the blinding light and scooted closer to the wall when they came towards her and Bugs.

"Looks like sleeping beauty is finally awake," Tango's unmistakable voice filled the air as the rat smirked down at Bugs. "Like you're new room, rabbit?"

"What, did you think the other cell was too nice?"

"You kiddin' me? This is one of our V.I.P. suites. Only the best for Looney- as always." Tango replied. Bugs rolled his eyes.

"Well, I have to say this isn't exactly five star service, and the aesthetic you have going here isn't the most welcoming I've seen."

"Cute. C'mon, get them up." Tango ordered the rats behind him.

Dot stared at the rat in front of her, her head still pounding and her throat even dryer than before. She looked around his sturdy form and saw Bugs being roughly pulled up from the ground and unshackled, only to have a rat swiftly clamp a pair of handcuffs on his wrists. Before she could register what was happening, the same was done to her.

"Move kid. We ain't got all day." he said and shoved her forward.

The rat kept a strong hold on her arm as he dragged her to the door of the cell. She looked back at Plotz, frowning at the blubbering mess he had become. She knew the CEO could be a bit selfish, but how could he give them up like that? He had always put their safety first, even if it was mostly because he needed them to make the studio money.

Then again, she wasn't sure what she would have done in his situation. The thought of ending up like Porky and Rocky was disturbing to say the least, and she didn't doubt that Smokey's methods of persuasion were anything short of terrifying.

"What's going on?" Bugs coughed through a cracked, quiet voice as they moved down the hall. The rat behind him roughly shoved him forward and his coughing became worse.

"Smokey needs you."

"For what?" Bugs asked.

"You'll see. Though you'd better cut the sick act. He ain't gonna be happy if your voice ain't soundin' right." the rat said.

"I told you, it's that damn anesthesia crap we keep givin' them. I say we just pop 'em. Works just as well."

"Yeah, see how Smokey likes that idea and you'll get why it ain't ideal," Tango snorted. "C'mon bunny, we've gotta get goin'."


	20. Chapter 20

Wakko took off his hat and rubbed a dirty hand over his greasy hair. Even though they had only been traveling through Burbank for several hours, he was becoming increasingly frustrated with their progress, or lack thereof in this case. Of course the one time he actually wanted to run into the creeps who took his sister they were nowhere to be found.

"Haven't we already been down this street?" Wakko asked as they slowly trudged behind a row of overgrown trees.

"No, I don't think so- wait, never mind. There's the fire hydrant Daffy threw up on yesterday." Yakko said.

"How would you know which one it was? We've been past dozens- I say- dozens of them in the last hour alone." Foghorn said.

"Because not all of Daffy's lunch made it onto the hydrant." Wakko saw Yakko shudder and look down at the crusty stain on his pant leg.

"I can barely remember what I ate at dinner, let alone something like that." Foghorn scratched the back of his head.

"Consider it a form of PTSD then." Yakko said.

"I said I was sorry." Daffy huffed. "And it's not my fault you bought moldy pork rinds without telling me." he pointed at Foghorn.

"And it's not his fault you still ate them even after the boy pointed out the green fuzz on them." Foghorn replied. Wakko rolled his eyes when Daffy let out an indignant "hmph!" beside him.

"Have we gone down that street?" Wakko ignored the duck and pointed to a street sign on the other side of the road.

"I don't know, maybe." Yakko shrugged.

"It's worth a shot to go and see. I know there's a street around here somewhere that goes to Toontown- I say- Toontown and that could be it for all we know," Foghorn said. "I'd imagine that's a likely place for toons to be, especially ones like Smokey. The border between Toontown and Burbank has never been a good place to hang around."

"Or it's yet another dead end like everything else we've tried." Daffy added.

"That's the spirit." Yakko said flatly.

"I'm sure we'll find something to go off of." Foghorn said.

"You've been saying that every time we get a new idea and every time you've been wrong." Wakko sighed.

"Wakko." Yakko chided.

"No, the kid's right. This is pointless." Daffy groaned.

"Then what do you s'pose we do?" Foghron crossed his arms.

"I don't know, but anything is better than going in circles for hours!" Daffy said as a faint sound of thunder echoed off in the distance. They stopped and looked up at the sky.

A mass of gray clouds that had moved in about a half an hour ago casted a dark shadow over the area. Wakko leaned back against a tree and looked down at the blades of grass swaying in the breeze. He sighed, crossing his arms and squeezing them against his body.

He missed Bugs, he missed his sister, and he missed his seemingly faraway life in the water tower. Bugs's house was nice, even though it lacked the familiarity Wakko was used to feeling in the tower, but at this point, even the crumby cardboard shack behind that sketchy Chinese restaurant or Heather's shabby apartment would do as long as his family was together. Suddenly, a thought came to Wakko that made his droopy eyelids shoot open.

Heather.

Wakko jumped up and tugged on Yakko's sleeve so fast and with so much force that he almost knocked his brother down. His breathing became faster and a silly grin appeared on his face.

"What the-"

"I know how we can find them!" Wakko said loudly.

"Shhh- what do you think you're doing, boy, you're louder than a-"

"Hold on, Foghorn. What are you thinking, Wakko?" Daffy asked.

"Heather!"

"Heather- what about her?" Yakko asked with a confused look.

"She said she used to date that rat who works at that convenient store, you know, the one who works for Smokey. Maybe she knows where their hideout is then!" Wakko said quickly. A large grin appeared on Yakko's face.

"You're right, Wak! I can't believe we didn't come up with that yesterday!"

"Wait, you're related to one of those crooks?" Daffy asked.

"No, just someone who dated a crook." Wakko said.

"Then how do you know we can trust her?" Foghorn raised an eyebrow.

"She's the one who brought us to the bus station and the one who saved us from Smokey's guys twice. That and her ex screwed her over pretty badly. I doubt she'd ever want anything to do with them ever again." Yakko said.

"I don't know..." Daffy said apprehensively.

"It's a long shot, but it's the best thing we've got. She's the only real lead we have." Wakko said.

"And what else can we do at this point? I doubt we'll find them if we keep going like this." Yakko added.

"Fine, I guess you're right. We'll try to find her," Daffy conceded. "Where does she live?"

"Cameron district in Toontown." Yakko said.

"Alright then, you boys stay here and we'll go find her-" Foghorn started.

"What? What do you mean stay here?" Wakko said loudly, earning a "shush" from the two adults in front of him.

"Quiet, we don't need anymore attention, now do we?" Foghorn hushed. "Look, I just don't think it would be a good idea to send you boys into Toontown right now, since every nook and cranny there seems to be stuffed with those damned rats."

"So? You're letting us look for them now, and most of the times we've run into them have been out here, so how is going into Toontown any different? A rat's a rat no matter where you find it." Yakko huffed.

"You don't even know where she lives exactly!" Wakko added, pleased to see that his brother was on the same page as him.

"I hate to say it, but they're right," Daffy said. "We'll need them if we want to get this chick to help us."

"Well, aren't you all wishy-washy today?" Foghorn turned towards Daffy. "First you don't want to do any of this at all and now you're helping them dig- I say- dig themselves' a deeper hole!"

"They're making a valid argument! And everyone's gonna be screwed if we don't do something soon, so we might as well get moving." Daffy said, his lips pulled into a tight line.

"I know, I know," Foghorn sighed. "I just don't want to see you boys getting hurt."

"We know, and we appreciate that, but Daffy's right. If we don't do something soon things are only going to get worse." Yakko said.

"Alright, fine. Just be careful," Foghorn said and took a deep breath. "Now, you gonna show us where this cousin of your's is?"

* * *

"After you." a rat chuckled and held open a large metal door. He shoved Bugs forward and laughed when he tripped over the threshold and fell. Dot cringed when she heard him crash onto the dirty, splintered wood floor.

"Don't mess him up anymore than he already is," Tango shook his head. "That's the boss's job, now get him up."

The rat grabbed Bugs by the shoulders and yanked him up. He let out a small groan and glared at Tango as he was roughly pushed forward. The rat who had kept a firm and painful grip on Dot since leaving the cell nudged her. She followed Bugs and Tango into a dark room with a single white screen and a large camera sitting in the middle of it.

Smokey and several other toons who stood near the screen turned around when they heard them come into the room. Dot gulped when she saw Pete standing with his arms crossed next to Bosko, Oswald, and Gonzo. _Great, another toon she had to worry about._

"Hey Bosko, looks like your best friend is here," Pete laughed when he caught Bosko's scowl. When he saw Dot, he leaned down in front of her and chuckled, sending a wave of stinky breath curling over her face. "Aw and look at this, he brought the cute widdle girl with him. How you doin' sweetheart?" he cooed. Dot stayed quiet and glared at him, making him laugh even more.

"How are our guests of honor liking their stay here? Does everything meet your standards?" Smokey stepped forward and looked between her and Bugs. Neither of them spoke up. "Not much in the mood for a conversation again, I see. Don't worry, we'll fix that."

He reached out towards Dot but stopped when Bugs yelled out.

"Don't!" Bugs growled through a scratchy voice.

"There he is, I knew he wouldn't stay quiet for long," Smokey said. "But what's up with your voice?"

"It's a side effect from one of the anesthesia shots we gave him." one of the rats said.

"I thought I told you to fix all of that stuff." Smokey frowned.

"We tried, but the lab-" Tango started.

Dot flinched when a giant light suddenly glowed over her and a small buzzing sound reached her ears. She looked at Gonzo through the light and watched him fiddle with the large camera pointing at the screen.

"Never mind, we'll talk about that later." Smokey turned to Gonzo with a glare.

"We're ready to roll, boss." Gonzo said.

"What do you mean 'ready to roll'?" Bugs raised an eyebrow.

"When was the last time you were on live air, Looney?"

"What do you mean?" Bugs asked.

"He means people are gonna see you on the TV at the same time you're filming, dumbass." one of the smaller rats snorted.

"He knows what that means, he just wanted to know- oh never mind..." Tango sighed and shook his head. Gonzo looked up at Bugs as he readjusted the camera beside him.

"You're gonna look into the camera and say 'That's right, Smokey.' when he gives you the signal, alright? Nothing more, nothing less," he said. "And make sure to put a little 'umph' into it. People like that."

"Why, it's not like I'm going to change anyone's mind about him." Bugs said.

"You might. As much as I hate to admit it, you have some influence in this town," Bosko stepped forward. "And besides, it puts a smile on my face to see you squirm."

"It puts a smile onto my face when lunatics like you see reason and crawl back to the dingy hole you came out of, but sadly l but I don't see that happening any time soon, either." Bugs said dryly. Dot resisted the urge to cringe when a cold look washed over Smokey's face and he moved next to her.

"Don't get smart, Looney. And don't even think about saying something like that on air." he said. Bugs shook his head and snorted.

"Whatever, doc. Though one question- don't you think that airing an 'ad' or whatever this is on TV is a bit much? You know, cliche?"

"Don't push me." Smokey growled and clamped a heavy hand down on Dot's shoulder. She bit down on her lip and stared at Bugs as he glared at Smokey with his lips pursed and nostrils flared out. Dot expected him to retaliate but he stayed silent. "That's what I thought. And we're toons. It'd be stupid for us not to use the entertainment industry as 'an outlet for communication between toons and humans,' as you once put it."

"You remember me saying that?" Bugs raised an eyebrow. "I don't even remember me saying that."

"It was at a press conference years ago, and it was one of your most gag-worthy moments. How could I forget? Seeing how much you like kissing the humans' asses made me hate you more." Smokey dropped his hand to his side and went to stand in front of the screen. Dot rolled her shoulder, relieved to have the pressure gone.

"You ready Smokey?" Gonzo said and looked into the camera.

"As always." he replied.

The lights dimmed down and the room became quiet. The rat behind Dot kept a firm grip on her arm and seemed fully engrossed in Smokey, obviously eager to hear what he had to say. Even Dot had to admit that she was curios to hear what was going to come out of the rat's mouth.

She watched Gonzo count down to one on his fingers before a small red light appeared on the camera. Smokey put on a yellow, hollow grin and looked into the camera directly before speaking up.

"I'm sure you're wondering why we've interrupted your regularly scheduled programming this evening, but don't worry, we won't take much of your time. I've told you our beliefs and goals on many occasions, so tonight I thought I'd introduce to you several notable toons who support our cause, and who encourage you to do the same."

Pete hobbled towards Smokey and stood in front of the camera with a twisted, almost goofy grin. He stepped beside him and and Gonzo moved the camera onto his chubby features.

Dot watched Pete as he spoke but couldn't focus on what he was saying. She was too busy looking at Bugs, trying to get a sense of what he was thinking, even though he wasn't making eye contact with her.

She prayed that he wouldn't say anything, or that if he did it wouldn't do anything to help Smokey. But at the same time, she knew that Smokey's threats weren't to be taken lightly. Dot watched one of the rats motion at Bugs for him to be brought forward and gulped.

She suddenly felt someone grab her around the waist and hold her tightly against his chest with one arm firmly restraining her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Bosko's face looming over her.

Her heart began to race even faster and she bit down harder on her lip when she saw a syringe filled with black liquid in his other hand. She looked up at Bugs and felt her stomach drop when a brief flash of panic and fear streaked across his face once he finally looked at her. Tango removed his shackles and shoved him towards Smokey, who grabbed his shoulder and pulled him in front of the camera.

"And here's one of our biggest supporters, the one and only Bugs Bunny," Smokey said. Bugs quickly composed himself and looked at the rat with an emotionless stare. "Wouldn't you agree that more toons should join us, Bugs? That we're what Toontown needs?"

Dot held her breath when Bosko tightened his grip around her and raised the syringe against her neck. Bugs kept his steady, conflicted gaze on them and finally responded after a moment of tense silence.

"That's right, Smokey." he said with a strained voice and a small, forced smile that didn't quiet meet his eyes.

Dot looked down and let out a quiet sigh. All she could hope for at this point was that no one would believe him.

The camera panned away from Bugs and Tango quickly put the shackles back on his wrists and restrained him. Bosko loosened his grip on Dot and handed her back to the rat who originally had her.

She ignored what Smokey was saying and kept her gaze on Bugs, who leaned against a concrete pole and rubbed a hand over his face. She hung her head and looked at the floor. Finally, Smokey finished speaking and the lights went back up. He muttered something to Pete and Gonzo before sauntering over towards Bugs and Dot once again.

"That wasn't exactly what I was looking for, Looney." he said.

"Sorry, I guess I was off my game today." Bugs shrugged. Smokey leaned down and pulled Bugs up by the ears. Dot looked back and forth between the two and swallowed.

"Next time you decide to pull something like that-"

The door busted opened and a toon ran into the room. Smokey dropped Bugs and turned towards the panting toon, who Dot thought looked no older than Yakko. He leaned up towards Smokey and whispered into his ear.

"Took you long enough," Smokey responded. He motioned for Gonzo and Pete to follow him and looked back at Bugs. "We'll finish this later. Put them back in their cells."

"Wait, I need to talk to you about something-" Bosko started but Smokey waved him off.

"We'll talk after." he strode out of the room, leaving Bosko with his arms crossed and his mouth pulled into a thin line.

Dot tried to look back at Bugs but tripped and fell when the rat behind her pushed her towards the door. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up, roughly shoving her when she was back on her feet.

"C'mon sweetheart, we don't got all day."

* * *

"Are you sure this is her building?" Foghorn asked. Wakko peered across the street as the sun came up and shone a deep, golden light onto the worn brownstone.

"I'm pretty sure. It's the only building that looks familiar. Well, that one kinda does, too-" Wakko shrugged.

"Wakko!" Daffy said.

"Hey, it's been a while since we've been here! Besides, we were too busy running from a bunch of bad guys to stop and take in the scenery." Wakko said.

"Number one rule in life is to always keep an eye on your surroundings, boy. You never know- I say- never know when it'll can come in handy to know where you are."

"I thought you said the number one rule in life is to never try the peach cobbler at a buffet-"

"Different situation, Daffy, different situation. Though remember that too, boys. I don't know why, but it's always dry when it's not home cooked." Foghorn tisked.

"I'll think of that the next time I'm at a Golden Corral," Yakko said. "But in other news, I'm about 90 percent sure that this is it so we might as well go inside."

"There's still that ten percent of uncertainty though." Daffy shook his head.

"Ehh, I'll risk it." Yakko responded.

"I'm assuming you've forgotten the apartment number too." Foghorn said as he held the door open.

"No, it's apartment 18," Wakko shrugged at their skeptical looks. "Don't look at me like that. I guess I spent so much time malleting that door that I just remember it."

"Why were you doing that?" Daffy raised an eyebrow.

"He thought it would be a good idea to try a new malleting technique on Heather's door that he read in a toon theory book." Yakko smirked.

"But I didn't leave any marks!"

"Yeah yeah, we'll see about that. Now lead the way, brother sib." Yakko swept his arms towards the elevator.

Wakko pressed the elevator button and took a deep breath when the dull metal doors opened with a ding. What if Heather had been caught when she brought them to the bus station, or in the time since? What if she was hurt, or worse? She was the only family member they had left who wasn't in jail or dead, after all, and it would kill him if they lost her right after they met.

Feeling ashamed that he hadn't thought of these things earlier, Wakko pulled at his gloves after pressing the button for the third floor, hoping they would end up in the right part of the building.

The door opened and he stepped out. Looking at the numbers on the doors as they walked down the hall, Wakko's heartbeat sped up when he saw a tarnished brass 18 sticking out against a metal door.

"Keep your mallet in your hammerspace this time, Wak." Yakko said as he approached the apartment. He rapt his fist on the door three times and stepped back. Nothing. He tried again but still no one answered.

"Heather, it's us- your cousins." Yakko said against the door.

"I don't think she's home." Foghorn sighed. Suddenly, the door creaked opened a crack and he saw an eye peering out at them.

"Yakko? Wakko?"

"Hey, Heather." Wakko smiled and let out a sigh of relief.

She unlocked the door and pulled them inside so quickly that he had to lean against the door frame to recover from the dizziness that washed over him. He hopped out of the way with a yelp when she slammed the door shut. Yakko stumbled backwards when she turned around and almost took him out with one of the two long crutches she had under her arms.

"It's nice to see you again, but what the hell are you two doing here? Don't you know that this place is crawling with Smokey's boys?" she said.

"We need your help. We're here with Foghorn and Daffy, and-" Yakko started but was cut off by Heather.

"Huh?"

"Yeah, they're right outside." Wakko pointed to the door. Her eyes widened and she quickly threw the door open to find Daffy and Foghorn causally standing in front of it.

"How do you do, Miss?" Foghorn smiled.

"Hey." Daffy waved nonchalantly. She looked back at Yakko and Wakko with a raised eyebrow.

"We'll explain in a moment." Yakko shrugged. She nodded her head and shut her hanging jaw.

"Please come in," she said with a still shocked expression. She stepped back and they walked into the apartment. "Feel free to sit down, and sorry if it's a bit messy in here. I haven't gone out much over the past few weeks."

"Don't worry about it. It's very... quaint." Daffy offered as he took a seat on the sofa covered in weeks old newspapers. He shuddered when he picked up a black banana peel off of the cushion and tossed it onto the floor.

Wakko sat down between Yakko and Foghorn and took a look around at the apartment that appeared drastically different from what he remembered. Trash was piled up on the kitchen table and counters, and there were several gaping holes in the thin walls. One of the windows was boarded up with a piece of plywood, and several new padlocks adorned the front door and windows.

Heather locked the many locks on the door and hobbled over to them. She limped past the battered coffee table and collapsed in the torn recliner between the two sofas with a grunt and a pained look on her face.

"Are you ok?" Yakko asked.

"Yeah, yeah, just need to get used to these things. They make you want to just rip your arms off."

"What happened?" Wakko said.

"I ran into some of Smokey's guys on the way home from the studio a week or two ago. They thought you might be with me and they chased me down. I would have been fine if I hadn't tripped over that stupid curb when I was running back here. Broke my leg in two places."

"Did you get away?" Wakko asked.

"I'm sitting here aren't I? Though those assholes managed to break in right after you left. I don't think they took anything and it happened when I was out of town for the weekend, but it sure as hell creeped me out," she sighed. "I'm glad to see you're all still in one piece. I thought they had gotten you for sure after they chased you out of Bugs Bunny's house."

"How'd you know about that?" Yakko raised an eyebrow.

"It's been all over the news and in every paper. No one knows what happened to you guys. Some guy even told a TV reporter that he found your body in a park the other night, Foghorn."

"Well I'll be damned, no one told me I was dead." he snorted.

"I believed it until now. Once I saw Bugs on TV with Smokey, I was sure you were all dead or locked up in the sewer."

"Wait, back up," Daffy sprung forward. "You said Bugs was on TV with Smokey?"

"Yeah, just last night. I was watching _Baywatch_ and Smokey came on all of a sudden. He went on with his usual rhetoric crap for a minute and then Bugs came on and said he agreed with what he was saying." Heather said.

"What? He would never- I say- never do that!" Foghorn boomed angrily.

"He did, and all of Toontown saw it." Heather said.

"Smokey must have forced him to do it." Yakko crossed his arms.

"At least we know he's alive." Daffy added as he gazed at the coffee table.

"Wait, if he's still okay that must mean Dot is, too!" Wakko jolted up.

"You still haven't found your sister?" Heather asked.

"No we did, but the rats took her and Bugs after we got chased out of his house," Wakko said quickly. "So if he's there and alive then she must be, too!"

"We don't know that-" Foghorn started.

"Wakko has a point. Do you really think Bugs would go along with Smokey unless there was some sort of ultimatum involved? If someone else wasn't at risk?" Yakko said as he sat on the edge of his seat. "I'm not saying that this is definitely the case, but there's a good possibility that Wakko's right."

"Yeah, but it still doesn't change the fact that they're locked up with a bunch of lunatics." Heather shook her head.

"That's why we came to you, actually," Yakko started. "We need help finding their hideout."

"Me?" She poked herself in the chest.

"Yeah, you dated a toon who's worked for Smokey. We thought he might have shown you where it is." Wakko said.

"Don't tell me you're thinking about going there and trying to break them out yourself?" Heather said wearily.

"What else can we do?" Yakko leaned forward. "It's not like the cops can help. The city's a mess and most of the force has fled or just can't handle what's going on."

"Just like you two- you're kids, for crying out loud!" she turned to Foghorn and Daffy and glared at them. "You were actually going to let them do this?" she yelled, pointing her one of her crutches at them and making both toons shrink back.

"I don't know, I haven't thought that far ahead yet!" Daffy shifted uncomfortably.

"I wasn't planning on letting them go in the hideout if we found it." Foghorn said quickly under Heather's piercing stare.

"We're going." Wakko demanded.

"What if they find you and you get stuck there?" Heather argued.

"They're going to find us soon, anyway," Yakko sighed. "The risks aren't something we haven't thought of."

"You don't-" Heather started.

"We're going whether you let us or not, so you might as well help our chances of finding them quicker by telling us where they are-" Yakko looked at Heather. "-and coming with us." he looked at Foghorn and Daffy.

"Yeah, so do you know where it is?" Wakko added, both impressed and inspired by his brother's determination. Heather slouched forward a bit and looked between them.

"Yes, I do. As much as I don't want to, I guess I'll show you." she gave in. "I don't think you we could persuade you otherwise." Foghorn cleared his throat.

"It seems like you little runts are dead set on getting your sister back yourselves," Foghorn said, reluctantly. "Now I'm not saying that you can go in with me and Daffy, but you can stay nearby in case anything goes wrong. But again, that does not- I say- does not mean you have a free ticket to waltz in and start dueling the first rat you see, you boys hear me?"

"Loud and clear." Yakko looked down at Wakko. The look on his face told him not to argue anymore, and Wakko figured that was a good idea. He didn't want to push the adults any further, no matter how short the leash they had been given was.

"I'll bring you there tonight, though you'd better be careful and listen to Foghorn and Daffy. I don't need another tragedy added to the family tree." Heather sighed. She looked up at Wakko and Yakko and a small smile pulled at her lips. "You know, you both remind me of your dad. He was one of the most stubborn toons I've ever met. Though being that way worked out for him, for the most part. It's what got him your mom. He went to the club she was a dancer at every night for months until she finally noticed him and agreed to go on a date."

"Really?" Wakko asked.

"Yeah, he wasn't one to give up." she smiled.

Wakko grinned and saw that Yakko was, too. No one ever compared them to their parents, or even talked to them about them. Either the people they met didn't know them personally or seemed to think that talking about them would make Wakko and his siblings uncomfortable. But he hung onto every small memory and piece of information he could get, and hoped that someday he would be able to put together a solid picture of who they really were.

"I really hate to ruin a family moment, but you wouldn't happen to have a bathroom, would you?" Daffy hesitantly spoke up.

"Yeah, it's right there." Heather chuckled and pointed to the door behind him.

"Thanks." Daffy got up and hurried into the bathroom. Heather picked up her crutches and carefully balanced her weight on them.

"Anyone hungry?" she asked.

"Is that even a question?" Yakko said, nodding his head towards Wakko, who was licking his lips at the thought of food.

"I'll go whip up something then." she smiled.

"I can help- I say- help you, Miss. I'm the finest mac and cheese maker in all of Southern California, if I do say so myself." Foghorn poked himself in the chest and grinned as he rocked back and forth on his feet.

"Sure, thanks. The remote's on the arm of the couch if you two want to watch something." she turned around and walked into the kitchen with Foghorn. Yakko leaned over and grabbed the remote.

"Any preferences?" he asked Wakko.

"Nah, I could care less as long as it's not the news or Disney Channel." he leaned back and stretched out, relieved to be out of harms way even if only for a moment.

He understood where the adults were coming from. It was their job to keep him and his siblings safe, but the thought of losing any of his family or friends made a chill run down his spine. So, as he laid sprawled out across Heather's stained, torn couch, Wakko decided that he'd be damned if he wasn't going to be there to help them. At the very least, if they went down, he'd go down with them.


	21. Chapter 21

"I'm definitely joining a gym after all of this is over." Daffy huffed and collapsed at the top of a hill.

"You've been saying that since the day I met you and- I say- and I haven't ever seen you even look at one, let alone go in." Foghorn shook his head.

"Yeah, well I mean it this time. Just look at these calves!" he pouted and lifted up a scrawny leg. Groaning, he flopped it back down. "I'm too weak to go on."

"For someone with such a big head, your inferiority complex could definitely use some help." Yakko shook his head.

"I happen to be quiet humble and reserved, thank you very much." Daffy glared.

"Really? Look who's blubbering on the ground, and look who had to walk eight miles on crutches... C'mon, we've gotta keep going." Heather kicked him with her crutch and hobbled up to the top of the hill.

"But-" Daffy started.

"Boy, quit moving that mouth of yours and get up. We don't got all day." Foghorn pulled him up by the scruff of his neck and pushed him forward.

"Are we close?" Wakko wiped a hand across his sweaty forehead.

"Yeah, there's a sewer on the other side of this hill that leads to the old entrance," Heather said. "No one uses it anymore, so you should be fine getting in. Though hurry up. You want to be in there before the sun rises and it gets light out."

"What do you mean 'sewer?'" Daffy raised an eyebrow.

"You'll see. I don't want to ruin the surprise." Heather smirked and click-clacked up to the top of the hill.

"We're not going to survive this, are we?" Daffy gulped.

"I'm sure we'll be fine. A little stench never killed anyone." Foghorn said.

"Well then you've never shared a hotel room with Taz after a 2 am Taco Bell run." Daffy muttered. Foghorn chuckled and clapped him on the back.

They reached the top of the hill and Yakko, feeling winded from the long walk and sick of the exhaustion that had pulled at him for the last week, leaned against his knees. He looked over at Wakko and saw that he didn't look much better.

"How you holding up, sib?" Yakko asked and stood up straight.

"Barely." he said between breaths.

"Here, have some water," Yakko pulled out a bottle from his hammerspace and handed it to his brother. Wakko took it and gulped down the little liquid left at the bottom of it. "Better?"

"Tons." Wakko crunched up the bottle and shoved it into his sweatshirt pocket.

"Hurry up, it's right around the corner." Heather called out from ahead of them.

Yakko took a deep breath and trudged after her. They walked up the hill and crept towards a large brick building. Heather pointed one of her crutches to a smelly trash bag next to it and hobbled over to it.

"It's there." she said.

"In the trash?" Daffy scratched his head.

"No, under the sewer cover next to it..." Heather raised an eyebrow. Yakko pushed Wakko towards her and stepped around the rusted plate. Heather crouched down, with her lips pursed tightly, and wobbled as she felt around the edge of the sewer cover.

"There's a place to pull this up somewhere- got it." she slowly stood up and Foghorn leaned down and yanked the crusty metal away from the ground with a grunt. He peered into the dark hole and plugged his nostrils when the putrid stench of sewer rose into the air.

"Egh, maybe you were right, Daffy. That's a mighty foul stank, that is," the rooster coughed. He took a deep breath through his mouth and turned to Yakko and Wakko. "Now you boys stay up here, alright? I doubt anyone is gonna see you- I say- see you from the street so long as you're quiet."

"Are you sure we can't come?" Wakko pleaded, putting on a puppy dog face so convincing that even Dot would be impressed by it.

"Boy, put that pout away. You know we can't let you go down there." Foghorn said.

"But you said maybe-" Yakko started before Daffy interrupted.

"No, we're not budging on this," he stared at them firmly, but his resolved look began to fade as Yakko and Wakko drooped their ears and pouted at the ground. "Look kids, we just want you to be safe."

"We understand..." Wakko sighed. Daffy scratched the back of his neck and rolled his shoulders as a cool wind blew over them.

"Thank you for the help, miss." Foghorn said.

"No problem. Anything I can do to help fix this shit is my pleasure." Heather said, adding a light snort. Yakko began to fiddle with the tissues and lint in his pocket once Foghorn turned around and cocked an eyebrow at him and Wakko.

"So you'll stay here? Promise?"

"Promise." Yakko said, debating if crossing his fingers behind his back would be overkill. Daffy nodded his head.

"Good. You should be safe behind that bar next door. It doesn't look like anyone's been back there for years." he pointed at the dumpster behind the rusty chain fence next to them before hesitantly looking over at Foghorn. "You ready?" he asked. Foghorn slowly nodded and kneeled down.

"Now you boys stay out of trouble and take care of yourselves."

"We will. Good luck." Wakko said.

With the help of a few hard pushes from Daffy, Foghorn lowered himself into the sewer drain and dropped down with a splash. Daffy gulped nervously and stole one last look at the Warners before he too disappeared into the darkness.

Yakko stared down at the almost luminescent water, or whatever liquid that was sloshing against Daffy and Foghorn off in the distance, and shoved his hands into his pockets. He heard Heather's crutches clink against each other as she shifted her weight next to him

"So, now what are you two gonna do?" Heather said.

"Hmm? What do you mean? We're going to stay here like they told us to." Yakko said and wiped a sweaty palm on his pants, forgetting that he was wearing gloves.

"Do you really think I'd believe that for a second?" Heather chuckled.

"A guy can dream." Yakko shrugged.

"I don't know what's going through your mind right now, but I have a feeling that you should ignore whatever it is." Heather said.

"You've gotta have some faith in us. We've survived this long, haven't we?" Yakko smirked.

"Barely." she snorted.

"Look, we've thought this through and I have a feeling that everything is going to be ok." Wakko added.

"Do you at least have a plan?" Heather asked.

"Ehhh... we're working on one." Yakko responded. Heather sighed

"I don't think I should let you go through with this, but I'm sure you little buggers are gonna find a way to get in there anyway."

"You're right about that." Wakko said.

"I just- ah shit, I think I hear someone coming," Heather said frantically as several voices echoed towards them.

Yakko thought he heard one of them say something about Smokey, but he was too busy being pushed through a small hole in the corner of the fence by Heather to really notice. She leaned against the wall and waited for the toons to pass before speaking up.

"I've gotta get out of here before someone notices me, so you two stay here and be quiet. Well, at least try to. Good luck, and please don't do anything stupid." she smiled at them before taking off at an impressive speed for someone on crutches and disappearing down the street.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Wakko said.

"Probably. She hasn't gotten caught yet." Yakko said.

"Good point." Wakko responded. They listened as the voices faded off into the distance. "Now what do we do?"

"I think we should go see for ourselves what that sewer looks like. Heather said that you don't have to go very far to find the entrance, so we shouldn't run into Foghorn and Daffy if we wait another minute or two."

"I like that." Wakko grinned. "The sooner we get in there, the sooner things can get back to normal."

"Yeah... I wanted to talk to you about that, actually." Yakko picked at his glove.

"What's up?" Wakko said hesitantly.

"What we do down there might not work, so if I tell you to run, hide, or do whatever, please just do it without any hesitation."

"But I'm not gonna leave you or anything-" Wakko defended.

"If I tell you to do something, even if you don't like it, I really need you to do it without any argument. Please?" Yakko sighed. "I can't lose both my sibs."

"Alright- alright. I promise." Wakko said softly. Yakko squeezed his shoulder before standing up.

"Thanks, Wak. Now c'mon, we don't have all day."

Yakko led Wakko to the sewer cover and kneeled down beside it. After the trail of obscene phrases and loud splashes coming from Daffy and Foghorn died down, he moved his head down and listened closer for anymore noise coming from below, and was confident that it was empty after hearing nothing but silence for several long moments.

He sat down and stared down into the dark, murky water below. Never a big fan of the dark to begin with, he pulled a small flashlight he had gotten from Bugs's house and flicked it on.

He motioned for Wakko to stay still and hopped down into the sewer with a splash. Flashing the dim light across the slimy walls, Yakko took another look around him before waving at his brother to join him.

"Ugh, this place reeks." Wakko gagged and pinned his nose with his fingers.

"What did you expect? New car smell?" Yakko cocked an eyebrow.

"Ha ha. Let's get out of here before I hurl up my dinner." Wakko shuddered and started walking. Yakko shook his head and followed him, inwardly agreeing that the smell was sickening.

Yakko slowly moved the light across the sewer and kept a sharp eye out for anything that could pass for an entrance. The stone walls were covered in a thick layer of grim that glistened when the light hit it, and the already dirty water seemed to become more opaque with each movement they made through it. Yakko shuddered. This place was the definition of creepy.

"Yakko, it's a rat!" Wakko cried out suddenly. Yakko grabbed his brother and pulled his mallet out of his hammerspace, ready to pound any attacker twenty feet into the ground. His heart raced rapidly as he frantically scanned the sewer for any activity.

"Where?" he called out.

"Over there- he's going into the wall!"

Yakko shone the light on what Wakko was pointing at and let out a shaky sigh of relief. A rodent no bigger than Pinky or Brain whimpered when the light hit its beady eyes, and it pushed itself between two bricks after a brief moment of shock.

"Geez, Wak. You need to pay more attention to your word choice." Yakko wiped a shaky hand against his wet brow.

"Sorry, he just freaked me out."

"Yeah, I figured," Yakko said as he placed his mallet back into his hammerspace. "C'mon, I want to get out of here."

They trekked through the sewer at a quick but cautious pace. Yakko kept a firm grip on the flashlight and his other hand at the ready to pull out his mallet. The water was becoming more clear with every few yards, and the smell was less gag-inducing than when they first entered the sewer. He flashed the light ahead of them and felt the knot in his chest twist tighter when a rusted door sat slightly ajar at the end of the tunnel.

"I guess this is our stop." he said and pushed Wakko up onto the concrete platform in front of the door. He joined his brother and peered through the door. A single, flickering light bulb cast a faint glow across the stark moldy walls, and a rickety staircase stood at the end of the seemingly abandoned hallway. Seeing no cameras, Yakko motioned for Wakko to follow him.

"Hold on a sec." Wakko said. Yakko turned around and cocked an eyebrow at his brother, who was pulling up a pair of clean pants.

"What are you doing?"

"I don't want this stink to give us away," Wakko said, pointing at his brown, soggy jeans. He tossed another pair of jeans at Yakko. "Those might be a little big, but they were the only other ones I could find at Heather's. Though I don't know why she had so many guys' jeans at her house..."

"Good thinking, Wak." Yakko said, ignoring the last part of what Wakko said. Once they had thrown their old clothes into the sewer water, Yakko led Wakko down the hallway and slowly padded up the staircase.

"Remember what I said. Stay quiet and do what I tell you." he whispered. Wakko nodded his head and they crept to the top of the stairs.

"Now what do we do?" Wakko asked as they stood in front of another door. Yakko pressed his ear against it and put a finger over his lips when he heard faint voices on the other side.

" _Are you sure he wanted them moved to that cell? Sure seems big for such little toons."_

 _"Nah, it'll fill up once we catch the other four dwarfs. Maybe if we're lucky we'll find their dame, too,"_

 _"Like Smokey would want her on that block. He's been taking the chicks to the third floor. Well, 'cept that Warner girl."_

 _"Do you think- ah, crap! I spilled some of this shit."_

 _"Did it get on you?"_

 _"Nah, just on the floor."_

 _"Here, give it to me. Smokey will kill you if that doesn't get to the lab in one piece."_

Yakko listened as they moved down the hallway and waited for a minute of silence to pass before cracking open the door and peering through it.

"Dot's here!" he whispered to Wakko with a grin.

"Where?"

"Somewhere upstairs. I say we keep going up and play it by ear. Stay close." Yakko pushed through the door with Wakko close behind and moved against the wall. Hearing nothing when they stopped at a corner, Yakko poked his head out and moved down the hallway.

"Where are the stairs?" Wakko whispered in his ear faintly.

"I think it's-" Yakko stopped and cringed when he heard a clatter behind him. "What was that?" he said louder than he meant to.

"Sorry, my water bottle fell out of my pocket." Wakko hurriedly picked it up and shoved it into his hammerspace.

"It's okay, just keep moving and be- wait... move!" he pushed Wakko forward when he heard a set of footsteps coming towards them.

"Hello? Who is there?" a voice called. Yakko started running even faster. His eyes shot from door to door, not knowing which one was the safest option to hide behind.

"Do you see the stairs? Where the hell is it?" Wakko panicked next to Yakko.

"I can show you, but may I ask what you two are doing down here?"

Yakko turned around and stared at an old, shaky duck with unruly puffs of hair sticking up off of his head. Several feathers sat loose against his saggy frame, and his eyes were looking everywhere except at Yakko and Wakko in front of him. He took off the grimy glasses sitting on his beak with an unsteady hand and wiped them off with a dirty rag from his pocket, making the glass even more streaked than before.

"There, that's better. I couldn't see at all for a moment there," he grinned. "Now where was I?"

"Ahh-" Wakko stammered before the duck put up a hand.

"Oh yes, that's right. You were asking about my new altimeter, correct?"

"Ehh... no." Yakko said.

"Was it my new inclinometer?"

"Wrong again." Yakko raised an eyebrow. "Are you-"

"Wait, shhh- yes, I remember. You must be the ones bringing me the defunct ink, yes?"

"Sure- I mean, yes. Yes we are." Wakko coughed and shrugged at the nervous look Yakko gave him.

"Ah, good. I was afraid they would send that big one again. He's no fun, you know. Never laughs at my jokes. Not even the one about the lawyer in the loo."

"That's too bad." Yakko said in halfhearted attempt to sound sympathetic.

"Yes, it really is. I work hard on them, you know? Like my mother always said, 'a joke a day keeps the doctor away!'" he laughed. "Now please follow me- ah, what were your names again?"

"Takko." Wakko said quickly. Yakko shook his head. Of all the fake names his brother could have picked, that had to be among the worst. "Takko" was just plain tacky.

"David." Yakko rolled his eyes.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Professor Ludwig Von Drake, or Professor Ludwig Von Drake, for short," he laughed. "Please follow me."

"What do we do?" Wakko tugged on Yakko's sleeve.

"Just play along, 'Takko.'" Yakko muttered.

"Fine, 'David.' You could have been a little more creative with the name, you know." Wakko muttered to him.

"And you could be a little less obvious, but that ship's already sailed," Yakko whispered through a false smile. "C'mon."

They followed Von Drake to a door with several tarnished locks adorning it. He creaked it open and gestured for them to go in, and stuck a tiny pin into the locks once he had closed the door.

"Don't tell anyone I was out," he said as the pin clicked the locks back into place. "I know it looks suspicions, but I was only out for a walk to get some fresh air. Staying cooped up with these fumes all the time can really make a toon go mad, you know."

"I wouldn't deny it." Wakko scoffed.

Von Drake walked over a table overflowing with test tubes and bubbling liquids that were all connected to a large metal pot on the floor next to it. He picked up an armful of empty cylinders and hobbled towards a sink that was already crammed with unwashed equipment. He put them in the sink and turned on the facet. A burst of water splashed off of the glassware and soaked him, making him yelp and jump backwards into a metal table.

"Ah!" he yelped and pulled a stained towel off of the counter. "Can you put the ink on the table there while I clean myself up?"

"Put the water bottle on it, Wak." Yakko nudged his brother quietly, hoping the duck wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

"Don't you think he'll notice?" Wakko said. Yakko pointed to Von Drake as he combed down his hair with the toothbrush that had been sitting next to a tray of silverware on the counter. "Never mind."

Von Drake took the towel and scrubbed his glasses with the damp cloth. The brown film that had previously covered them was gone. He patted down his hair, making it puff up even larger than before, and turned around. He gasped when he got the first real good look at them since they met in the hallway.

"Wait- you two are only children! Children? Oh this is very, very peculiar. Smokey doesn't like children, so what would he have them here for?" he scratched his head. "But you do look familiar..."

"We do?" Yakko squeaked nervously.

"Yes. Do you know that Sylvester? That cat with the bird? Because your noses are very similar." he pondered.

"Our noses? What do you mean our noses? His is way bigger than our's!" Wakko defended.

"Okay, okay, forget what I said about the nose- but you still look familiar." he insisted. "Kinda like that girl up there, too." he meekly waved the toothbrush towards a cork board behind them. Yakko turned around and found himself staring at one of the head shots the studio had taken of his baby sister with a red circle around it.

"Why do you have a picture of Dot? And is that Bugs?" Wakko said, getting closer to the board. Dozens of pictures of toons surrounded them. Some were crossed out with an x, while others were circled like Dot's or left blank entirely.

"That is not mine. That's Smokey's and Gonzo's. And how do you know that girl?" Von Drake asked. "Is she a friend of yours?"

"We're related." Yakko ripped the photo off of the wall and held it in between him and Wakko.

"Hmm, I guess you do have the same nose... but other than that I never would have guessed." Von Drake squinted as he peered over their shoulders, scratching his head with the toothbrush he'd picked up from the table.

"But you just said that she looked like us-" Yakko started.

"Do you know if she's okay?" Wakko interrupted.

"I don't know. I've been stuck down here for months now, all alone for most of the time. I hardly ever get to leave, especially after they locked me back up. You would think that I'd get a second chance after only escaping once, yes?" Von Drake threw his hands up in frustration. "It's not like I want to be here. And I have done a very good job for a duck that does not want to be here!"

"Why are you here then?" Yakko asked.

"You're not going to tell Smokey or anyone about this, will you?" he stabbed Yakko in the chest with the toothbrush.

"Who are we gonna tell? We're trying to avoid these toons as much as possible." Yakko exclaimed.

"Very well then," the duck sighed. "They needed someone to make the ink they use to permanently sedate toons. Smokey said that Gonzo kept messing up the formula, and he- like most people- knew I was a renowned scientist, of course. I don't agree with what he's doing at all, but I don't have a choice."

"Why?" Wakko asked.

"They threatened my family," he sighed. "Smokey said he would ink my nephews- my only family left who aren't insane- if I didn't help him. Can you imagine having an entirely crazy family? The boys are the only ones who keep me sane. Though I promised myself that when I lose it I'd-"

"Wait, so how'd you escape?" Yakko continued.

"The same way you came in. Not only am I genius, but I also have the most powerful snifter of all the Von Drakes!" he boasted and started to stir several liquids in a beaker. "I could smell that sewer stench a mile away. But I'm sad to say it won't help you to get to the fourth floor."

"Why would we need to get there?" Wakko said.

"Well that is where that toon is- the one we were just talking about-"

"You mean our sister?" Wakko said.

"The one with that cat's nose, yes," Von Drake said, staring at them through a tube of pink liquid. "You do want to find her, don't you?"

"Yeah, but why didn't you tell us that a second ago?" Wakko said, becoming more frustrated with the duck.

"You didn't ask where she was, just if she was okay." Von Drake mixed two beakers together before pouring them down a tube.

"Where'd you hear that she was there?" Yakko asked, cautious to believe anything he said without a convincing explanation.

"Some of the rats who were down here this morning to get more ink were talking about it, I think."

"You think?" Wakko lifted an eyebrow.

"Well, it was either that or there's a new vending machine there. I can't really remember." he shrugged.

"It's the only lead we've got, so we might as well look into it." Yakko said to his brother.

"I guess. And at least we'll get some snacks out of it if he's wrong," Wakko smirked. "Let's go check it out. I don't want to waste anymore time."

"Agreed, sib. Thanks for the help." Yakko said and turned towards the door.

"Let me know how it all works out! Good luck!" Von Drake waved and bumped his hand into a pot. He quickly caught it and went back to studying the bubbles that were slowly rising to the surface of a beaker. Yakko shook his head and opened the door, slowly leading his brother back into the hallway.


	22. Chapter 22

**I'd give a list of excuses as to why I didn't get this done sooner, but I doubt you'd want to hear them. Thanks again for all of the support! And thanks to the anonymous reviewer the other day... you were a part of the kick in the butt I needed to update this! Hope you all enjoy this (late and short) chapter!**

* * *

Bosko shuffled down the hallway with his sweaty palms scrunched up inside of his worn pockets. He twiddled the lint resting in the lining into a damp ball and bit the inside of his mouth as he approached the rabbit's cell. Two rats stood on either side of the rusted door, both staring at the stark wall across from them as they halfheartedly discussed a hockey game from the night before. Bosko scoffed when they barely acknowledged him as he moved towards them.

"I told Mort that the guy should've been called on icing, but the game was so boring otherwise I'm surprised I even noticed that much of it. Fell asleep three times in the first period alone, I tell you." the larger rat said in a monotone voice, glancing at Bosko before setting his tired gaze back onto the wall.

"The Kings suck anyway. Can't seem to- hold on," the other rat murmured before glancing at Bosko when he stopped in front of them. "Can we help you?"

"I'm here to cover your lunch break." Bosko said as he looked back and forth between the two.

"They don't usually send a guy until twelve thirty. It's only twelve fifteen now." one of them raised an eyebrow. "Besides, why are you standing guard? Aren't you a janitor or somethin'?"

"Don't you know who I- never mind. They're short handed today and asked me to cover," Bosko said with a clenched jaw. "And I don't know when your lunch is, I'm just following orders."

"Alright, alright. No need to get testy." one of the rats put up his hands.

"We ain't complaining about an early lunch. I was gettin' hungry anyway," the other said and nodded his head towards the stairwell. "C'mon, let's leave tight ass here and get some grub. Here's the key if you need to go in an settle em' down, though I doubt you'll have to. They never do anything cept' talk every now and then."

"Yeah, I wish they'd given given us that Taz bastard or someone better to guard. Then we'd actually have somethin' to do." the other one chimed in.

Bosko bit down on his tongue to keep a retort form escaping. As annoying as those rats were, he couldn't blow up and draw anymore attention to himself. He was surprised that they didn't know who he was, but the fact that they handed him the key without out any thought showed how high their IQ level was. What if he was a toon trying to break the bunny out? They could've let any old schmo in without a second thought. Sighing, he made a mental note to remind Gonzo, who was now training most of the recruits, to stress security to the new toons.

Bosko leaned casually against the wall as he watched them walk down the hallway. He stayed where he was even until after he'd watch them descend down the staircase and out of sight, rolling the lint in his pocket over and over as he did so.

It was probably a good thing they didn't know who he was. He knew Smokey would be less than thrilled if he found out he was down here, since the rat seemed set on chaperoning all of his "dates" with the rabbit, as Oswald had put it last night.

Smokey's warning to stay away from the rabbit still rang in his ears, and had been for the last few hours. He didn't want to go against the rat, of course, but he just couldn't stand waiting to confront the toon that ruined his career any longer. He'd already done his waiting for the last forty nine years.

Looking back and forth down the hallway to make sure no one was around, he quickly unlocked the door with the key and swiftly went inside. He closed the door and flicked on the dim light to find the rabbit slumped against the wall, still passed out. The only other toon in the room was that little Warner girl, who was laying on her side across from him as her shallow breaths rose and fell slowly in her chest.

Bosko turned back to the rabbit and walked across the room. His long ears were pressed against his head and his eyes flitted under his eyelids, while his eyebrows were furrowed into tight lines. Bosko reached towards him hesitantly, like he would disappear the moment his hand made contact with the rabbit's fur. But when he pulled the tip of his limp ear, the rabbit slowly opened his eyes and flinched when he found Bosko looming over him.

"Good morning, Looney. How ya feelin'?" Bosko grinned when the rabbit flinched back against the concrete wall.

"What are you doing in here? Aren't you supposed to be taking over the world or something?" the rabbit snorted through a scratchy voice.

"Can't a toon drop his pal a line every now and then?" Bosko said.

"You'd much rather drop an anvil on my head, if anything. Can't say I wouldn't do the same for you." the rabbit replied coolly. Bosko gripped his ear even harder and smiled when a grunt of pain squeezed through the rabbit's abnormally large front teeth.

"Aw, I forgot you were a squealer." he chuckled and released the rabbit's ear. Stepping back, he looked around the cell and shook his head. "Nice place you've got here. It must give you a nice break from all the hustle and bustle of Hollywood, hmm?"

"Oh yeah, it's a real vacation," the rabbit said. "Now are you gonna drag me up to Smokey again, or did you come in here just to mock me?"

"I just wanted to reminisce about the 'good ole days' with you. You know, the ones you stole from me."

"You're still obsessing over that after all these years..." the rabbit shook his head and paused for a moment before continuing. "I never 'stole' anything. I was offered a job that was completely separate from what you were doing. For the last time, I had nothing to do with you getting fired."

"Then why the hell did they can me? They said that I 'didn't meet their standards,' that they wanted to 'pursue other talent'." Bosko spat, his voice rising with each word.

"They didn't fire you because you weren't as talented as everyone else, doc. They fired you because you acted like a stuck up, drunk asshole all the time. Your talent had nothing to do with it."

"Sure." Bosko snorted. He saw the Warner girl start to move beside him out of the corner of his eye, but quickly pulled his attention back towards the rabbit in front of him.

"I'm serious," the rabbit shook his head. "If anything, you're one of the most talented toons the studio's ever seen. But you hardly ever showed up to rehearsals and were too drunk to remember your lines or do the gags right. I just happened to get signed at the same time you started spiraling out of control."

"I wasn't that bad!" he seethed.

"You were on the cover of the 'Toontown Telescope' for peeing on Donald Duck's lawn while drunk. Twice."

"He owed me money!" Bosko shouted, causing the girl, who was now sitting up and groggily staring at him, to wince.

"Mhm. Just face it. The reason you stopped being such a big star is because you stopped caring." the rabbit narrowed his eyes at him, and Bosko locked his furious gaze on him, calculating his next move as a tense silence filled the room.

"You might feel better if you moved on," the girl said softly, breaking the uncomfortable quiet and causing both him and the rabbit to look over at her. "I don't see why you'd want to be so angry all the time."

"You think I like feeling this way? Just stay out of this, brat." he snarled, causing her ears to droop slightly.

"Don't talk to her like that!" the rabbit snapped.

"I'll talk to her however I damn well please! You don't tell me what to do, rabbit. If you hadn't noticed, I'm the one in charge now."

"Sure, because every toon convicted of attempted murder and a part of organised crime is a real winner. Tell me, which place had better food- the prison cafeteria or a Warner Brothers party?"

"How dare you," Bosko growled. "You have no right saying any of that after what you put me through."

"What I put you through? Think about what you put me through! You almost killed me! I couldn't sleep for months because I was so afraid that I'd wake up with a knife in my back or bullet in my head."

"Oh, quit your whining. We all have our problems," Bosko rolled his eyes. "If you hadn't ruined my life, I would've been the biggest toon in Hollywood."

"But falling short of that was all your fault," the rabbit exclaimed. "If you don't pick yourself up and keep trying to make a better life for yourself, then how are you supposed to be successful? You, Smokey, Oswald- you all gave up."

"Don't bring Oswald into this." Bosko said quietly and took a deep breath.

"Isn't he already though? Doing all your dirty work without getting anything for himself?"

"He's getting plenty-"

"Well then where's Micky in all of this?" the rabbit rose an eyebrow. "You know, the toon he kidnapped for twenty four hours and returned all banged up because he 'stole his gig,' as you nuts put it? I'm sure I would have found out if he were here by now, since you'd no doubt want to brag about nabbing him, too. But I don't see him anywhere, doc."

"We we're both just trying to get back to where we once were." Bosko growled after allowing a tense silence to fester in the room for a moment.

"Yeah, and look where that got you. Now you're both nothing." the rabbit spat.

Bosko felt a surge of anger rise inside of him and he began shaking with rage. He grabbed the rabbit by the throat and pinned him against the wall. Bosko squeezed his fingers against the rabbit's flesh and tightened his grip until he felt the vertebrae begin to compress inside of the furry neck trapped in his palms.

He heard the girl yell, but was too enraged to listen to what she was unintelligibly screaming. The rabbit struggled under him and was trying to kick him, but Bosko kept squeezing, unleashing every ounce of rage that had plagued him for the past half a century as the rabbit began to turn blue.

Another louder set of piercing screams sent a chill down his spine, and he unclenched his hands from the rabbit's neck. He spun around, sweat trickling down the side of his face and air pouring down his throat in short, ragged breaths as the rabbit gasped for air and slid down the wall behind him.

Streams of tears poured down the girl's face as her body shook with sobs. Her ears were pressed against the side of her head and her eyes were set on him, fear glistening inside of them behind a blurry pool of unshed tears.

"Don't hurt him... please!" she wailed, reaching towards the rabbit but falling back when the chains contracted against her attempt to grab him.

Bosko slowly backed up and looked between the two toons. The rabbit was coughing uncontrollably as the color began to slowly return to his face, and the girl was glancing back and forth between him and the rabbit while wearing one of the most pathetic expressions he'd ever seen.

Her tiny shoulders, covered only by a dirty and tattered t-shirt that engulfed her, shook as a violent wave of hiccups and dry heaves overcame her, and Bosko felt his eyes glued to her as he quickly stumbled backwards out of the room. Taking one last look at the girl, he slammed the door shut and fumbled to lock it before hurrying down the hall.

Bosko rounded the corner and clumsily pounded down the long metal staircase. He clenched his fists and took deep breaths, trying to subdue the overwhelming emotions churning inside of him.

Feeling lightheaded, Bosko slumped down onto the steps and looked down at the filthy, crusty floor below him.


	23. Chapter 23

Bosko ran his hand through his hair as he looked at his reflection in the aged bathroom mirror. The bags under his eyes had drooped back to the size they were while he was at Clampett, and he frowned when he found what was now the sixth gray hair on his head sitting above his ear. Goddamn it if he knew why they only started to appear a week ago.

He turned on the faucet with a squeak and cupped his hands to catch the milky water gurgling out of the pipe. He leaned forward and splashed the water against his face, letting out a long breath when the cool liquid ran down cheeks and washed away some of the grime that had been irritating him for the past few days. All he wanted to do was take a shower and cleanse himself of the filth that was itching at his skin, but yet another commitment to Smokey had made that impossible to do at the moment.

Bosko turned off the faucet and dried his face with a stained towel. He tossed the towel onto the floor near the door and picked up his gloves. Examining the unraveling stitching between the fingers and several holes in the knuckles, he slowly stretched the gloves onto his hands and gave himself one last solemn glance in the mirror before exiting the cramped and dimly lit bathroom.

"You ready yet?" Oswald yawned and stood up.

"Yeah, though I could really use a shower and a nap right about now." Bosko muttered as he sat down on his bed to put on his shoes.

"I took the morning off to catch up in those areas. I don't think I've felt this good in years." Oswald smiled.

"That's nice and all, but some of us have actual shit to take care of and don't have time for a spa day." Bosko muttered.

"Oh c'mon, Bosk. There's always time if you make enough room for it."

"Yeah, well tell Smokey that," he huffed as he pulled on his laces. "How'd you get out of what you were supposed to do, anyway?"

"Tango told me they were bringing in some toons I used to work with at Disney way back when. He gave me the list and I saw a couple of my exes, so I got Shorty to process them instead."

"They let you off that easy?"

"Well, I convinced them how batty these chicks are and I promised I'd help out with the next raid. Though who knows when that will be. We've pretty much hit every spot Smokey was after."

"Have you gotten any word on Mickey yet?" Bosko said a moment later as he finished tying the last knot on his shoe. The rabbit's words about Oswald were still ringing in his ears from earlier.

"What do you mean?" Oswald looked over at him.

"I heard Smokey was aiming to catch him, too. Though no one has a clue where he is, from what I've heard."

"Didn't know he was that interested in him now that we've got Warner Brothers' most prized possession." Oswald shrugged.

"Don't you still want to snag him though?" Bosko said. He kept a steady eye on Oswald and watched him stiffen.

"I mean, I wasn't gunning for him particularly." Oswald shrugged after a moment.

"I thought you wanted to, you know, pay him back and all." Bosko raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know Bosk," Oswald sighed. "I've mostly come to peace with him, at this point."

"I thought you said he still got to you."

"Sure, he still annoys me and all, but I decided there was nothing I could do about it anymore. He got the spotlight and I didn't."

"But he stole your career! Just think where you could be if he didn't take your spot." Bosko said.

"I guess after all these years I've gotten tired of being so worked up over it all the time, especially when there's nothing I can do to fix it." Oswald scratched the back of his head.

"So why are you here if you don't care about gettin' that bastard back? Why go through all this if you've got nothing to gain?" Bosko wondered aloud.

"I'm here for _you_ , Bosk. Whatever you need to accomplish to move on, I'm here to help. I know how hard it is to do alone- it took me decades to get to this point without anyone helping me."

"Like I deserve your help..." Bosko said quietly and twisted his hands. Oswald sat down next to him on the bed.

"Whatever you need to do to make your life go right, I'll help you. You're my friend, and you're probably the only one at that," he nudged him. "Besides, you saved my ass in Clampett too many times to count. I wouldn't still have all my fingers if you weren't there to scare off all those assholes who tried to fight me for one reason or another." Oswald smiled.

"Jesus, way to lay the sugar on so thick. You're making me nauseous," Bosko snorted through a small smile. "No wonder you're a Disney toon."

"It's basically in my contract that I induce those kinds of feelings and shit every now and then," chuckled Oswald. "Well, what was my contract."

Bosko shook his head and took in the reassuring words of his friend, thankful that at least one bastard in this world wasn't constantly giving him shit or holding him back. He looked up at the rusty analog clock on the wall above Oswald's bed and shot up when he saw that it read 1:35.

"Shit, we were supposed to meet Bosko five minutes ago." he quickly got up and threw open the door with Oswald practically stepping on his heel behind him.

"This is gonna be fun." Oswald shook his head and slammed the door shut before they took off towards Smokey's office.

* * *

"Do you think the boss would, like, mind if I asked for the day off? I met a real babe who seems totally into me and, like, I'd love to show how into her I am."

"Yeah, because he's so sympathetic to us average Romeos. I asked Fritz to ask him about vacation days and he totally flipped. Said I was an ungrateful shit and all that stuff."

"Well, it's not like he's wrong- OW! No need to get violent over it, asshole."

Wakko leaned further into the wall as the two toons nearby continued their conversation. He had a hand attentively positioned above his hammerspace, ready to draw his mallet if the toons turned the corner. Yakko sat behind him in a similar stance.

They had tried to avoid the busier, brighter hallways they came across after Yakko had pointed out a security camera with a shaky finger on the last floor they were on. Now, they were stuck crunched up in an intersection of several damp, dark hallways, and had been forced to listen the two "prospective perverts," as Yakko had put it, for the last five minutes.

"Are they gone yet?" Yakko quietly groaned. After trying to maneuver through the confusing labyrinth of hallways for the past half an hour or so, Wakko could tell his brother was becoming just as aggravated as he was.

Wakko poked his head out and frowned when he saw that the two teenage bear toons were still standing in the middle of the hallway with their backs to them. From what he could see, both seemed to be afflicted with raging cases of acne. Wakko shuddered and hoped that he wouldn't have to look like that when he would be a teen.

Well, if he lived that long.

"Nope. I think they've decided to nest there or something." Wakko sighed and rested his head against the wall.

"Why'd they choose this dump of all places? I'm sure there are other parts of this place that are less... slimy." Yakko frowned as a trail of goo trickled down the wall beside him.

"Are you kidding me? This seems like a perfect place for nasty toons like them. You heard them talking about that Tiffany girl, whoever she is."

"Ugh, they're worse than those guys we ran into on the way to the lot. I didn't know describing a girl could get so... detailed." Yakko shuddered.

"And that's coming from a kid with a 'Playtoon' under his bed." Wakko scoffed.

"How'd you know about-" Yakko blushed before Wakko silenced him with a finger once the two bears continued their conversation.

"I mean, I just need one night with her," continued the taller bear. "Even an hour or two would work- but no, all the higher ups just gotta be sticks in the ass."

"I know, but don't go, like, projecting that. Greg totally flipped on Tango last week and I haven't seen him since." the other said through a string of cracks in his voice.

"What did he say?"

"Somethin' about how he's sick of getting shitty jobs and how no one gives a damn about us around here. He would've been fine if, like, he hadn't called Smokey the spitting image of his right ass-cheek."

"Shit... I didn't hear about that. Though I- hold on." Wakko heard the buzz of static travel down the hall. "Yello?"

 _"You dumbasses are late for you're shift."_ a voice faintly traveled above the static.

"Sorry, we, like, lost track of time."

 _"Get up to the cell before Craig and Finnick miss their lunch and I have to come find your asses myself."_

"Right-" Wakko heard a click. "Jesus, my watch says were only two minutes late. Can't they chill out for, like, a second?"

To his relief, they padded down the hallway. He let out a breath when their annoying banter faded as the door farthest from them slammed shut.

"They gone?" Yakko asked.

"Thankfully. I think they went that way, so our best bet is straight ahead."

"Alright, follow me." Yakko said and moved in front of him.

Yakko scanned the area and started towards another rusted door. Wakko was moving to follow him when someone grabbed his shoulder from behind. He whipped around and punched the figure as hard as he could, sending himself and a white mass sprawling to the floor along with a tray of glass viles the toon was holding. Wakko was about to pull out his mallet and continue his assault, but stopped when his vision cleared and a dazed duck with wild hair and askew glasses came into view.

"Gah! How are you so quiet?" Wakko shrieked with a sweaty palm clutching his shirt.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. I forgot how quiet my webbed feet make me." Ludwig Von Drake nervously giggled as he pointed to his foot and wiggled his toes.

"I didn't mean to piss my pants right there either, so I guess we're on the same page." Wakko muttered, trying to slow his breathing and calm the rapid pounding of his heart against his rib cage.

"Wakko!" Yakko nudged him, the look of panic on his face quickly ebbing into an equally relieved and annoyed pout.

"Sorry, I guess I'm just a bit on edge." he said and stood up on shaky legs, offering the duck a hand.

"It is very alright. I agree that I am somewhat 'on edge,' as you say, myself." he grunted as Wakko, with the help of Yakko, pulled him up.

"What are you doing up here? I thought you said you weren't allowed to leave the lab." Yakko asked, peering around him to make sure they were still alone.

"I was called up to Smokey's office to bring him some more samples of a new strain of ink I've been working on. I would have preferred more of a notice, however," he said with a humph. "They treat me like a wet nurse on call."

"That's... unfortunate," Yakko shrugged awkwardly. "And I don't know how much of this stuff is going to make it up to Smokey." he pointed to the shattered viles on the ground that were mixed among the few that had managed to survive.

"Of course this would happen. It is just that kind of a day, I suppose." Von Drake sighed.

Wakko, feeling bad that this was partially his fault, kneeled down and scanned the ground for the few viles that were still intact. He reached for one that was surrounded by a pool of brown liquid, careful not to touch it. Von Drake hadn't really gone into the effects of the ink, and he wasn't sure he wanted to find out. But as he leaned forward to grab the vile, he began to tip over and lurched his leg forward to catch himself. His heart skipped a beat when he planted his foot on the ground and felt liquid seep between his toes.

"What are you doing?" Von Drake yelled and swiftly dragged him away from the mess. He grabbed his leg, which threw Wakko off balance and sent him tumbling onto the floor, and stared at the bottom of his foot in horror.

"What's wrong? Is he alright?" Yakko said with panic clearly evident in his voice.

"No, no, no- there's nothing I can do..." the duck cried.

Wakko's lips began to tremble, and the uncomfortable rapping in his chest that had been sweltering inside him since they had arrived at the hideout reached its peak. Yet despite the coolness of the liquid against his skin, Wakko didn't feel any different that he usually would. His mind began to clear and he looked up at the duck. What the hell was he talking about?

"Uh... Mr. Von Drake, what's this stuff supposed to do exactly?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"First of all young man, it is 'Professor Von Drake'," the duck tisked and dropped his foot. "And this 'stuff,' as you will, essentially transforms a toon into a paralyzed shell of his or her normal self. This new form of it works instantaneously once it makes contact with a toon's skin." he wiped a hand across his sweaty brow. Wakko shot a confused look at his brother, who seemed to have also caught onto the muttering duck's words.

"Ehh, how instantaneous are we talking here?" Yakko asked and crossed his arms.

"Do I need to shove a dictionary under your snouzer? It's supposed to take effect right away!" the duck gestured a hand towards him.

"Then do you see my dilemma?" Yakko pointed to his brother. "I don't know about you, but Wakko looks fully functioning to me." Von Drake stared back and forth between him and Wakko and drew his mouth into a thin line after assessing the younger Warner for a moment.

"Hmmm, you are correct. But why is that?" he leaned down and carefully picked up one of the undamaged test tubes. His eyes shot opened once he examined the liquid inside of it and he quickly shoved the remaining viles into his lab coat pockets.

"What's wrong?" Yakko asked, unfolding his arms and straightening his stance.

"This is the wrong prototype..." Von Drake muttered as he took a rag out of his pocket and placed it on the ground to sop up the remaining liquid.

"What's wrong with that one, Professor?" Wakko stood up.

"No! No more questions- I'm very late and must be going!" the duck glanced around the hallway and took off back towards his lab. Wakko looked down at what was left of the mess in front of him and reached for a unbroken vile Von Drake had missed.

"Wait, professor, you forgot one!" he called after the duck, who was quickly fading off into the distance.

"Not this is any sort of news flash, but I think he's long gone, Wak," Yakko said and peered down at the vile in his hand. "Is there anything written on it?"

"I don't know, it's covered in goo," Wakko said. Without looking at it, he wiped it off against his pants and put the vile in his pocket. "I'll give it back to him next time we see him. I'm sure he'll pop up again." Wakko snorted and turned around.

"Fair, enough," Yakko said. "C'mon, let's get going."

* * *

"Nice of you to finally join us." Tango snarled as he opened the door to Smokey's office and stepped aside for Bosko and Oswald, who were both breathing heavily and tempted to slump down in the comfy leather chairs in front of Smokey's desk. The look on Smokey's face, however, kept them firmly rooted in the spots they were currently standing in.

"Do you think I have an endless disposal of time at my fingers? That all I do is sit around here and wait for your precious asses all day? Because thanks to you two fairies, I'm gonna be late for a very important meeting." Smokey glared.

"We can always come back later-" Oswald said before getting cut off by the toon in front of him.

"Do you know who these two are?" Smokey nodded towards two teens standing against the wall on the side of the room.

"No." Bosko responded, nervously twisting his hands behind his back.

"They're the relief for our special guest's guards. But according to them, those guards weren't there when they went to cover their break earlier," he started.

"Yeah, like, no one was there." said the taller one.

"It was totally a desert." added the other.

"And according to the other guards, a short inkblot toon showed up to replace them earlier than usual- instead of these regular goons. Care to explain?" Smokey seethed, loudly rapping his fingers against his desk. "And be very, very considerate in how you answer me."

"Alright, I went to check in on the rabbit." Bosko answered.

"Why the hell would you do that after I gave you clear and specific instructions to stay clear of the bastard?" Smokey yelled.

"I wanted to make sure he was still alive and... stuff." shrugged Bosko, not knowing how to put what he wanted to say into words.

"Do we need to strap a heart monitor to him and blast it through the speakers then? Or how about this- do what I say and I'll keep you up to date." Smokey slammed a hand on his desk and sent a shock wave through Bosko, who put his hands up.

"Look, I'm sorry-"

"Sorry don't cut it around here, and you should know that." Smokey glared at him. "I expect more from you, but obviously you can't do shit!"

"What the hell are you talkin' about! I've put my neck on the line for you countless times since I got here-"

"And not once have you thanked me. Me- the toon who caught the rabbit that stole your career. You should be grateful at the very least!" Smokey responded.

"Oh yeah, like I'm the only reason why you wanted him." Bosko shook his head.

He wanted to shoot a scathing retort at the rat; tell him why he had to defy him and why he shouldn't be treated like he was being at the moment, or even over the past few days. He felt like the entire placed looked at him like some insignificant puppet, but by god he wasn't. If he could only tell him how he really felt- yet feeling Oswald put a hand on his sleeve made him seethe in his anger and desperation silently.

"Don't go questioning me now." Smokey practically growled.

"Alright, I was wrong to say that and I was wrong to visit the rabbit," Bosko sighed, not wanting to anger the rat any further. "I am grateful for what you've done for me and Oswald, and I swear I won't go against you." he swallowed.

"I'm holding you to that. I-" Smokey said before being interrupted by several frantic knocks on the door. "Holy fuck, now what?"

"Mr. Smokey it is me, Ludwig Von Drake!" a muffled voice traveled through the door.

"Jesus Christ, you'd think I'm runnin' a goddamn bed and breakfast or something," he sighed and waved towards the door. "Let him in."

Bosko watched as the disheveled duck shuffled into the room while holding a tray of beakers and viles that vibrated from his nervous shaking.

"You two can get out now." Smokey nodded towards the two teens leaning against the wall.

"Right on, boss. Catch you later." the shorter one said before they left and Tango, shaking his head, shut the door behind them.

"Do you have the new strain?" Smokey asked testily.

"Yes, I have it right here, just like you-"

"Does it work?" Tango said from beside the door.

"Why yes, but it has only been tested on several toons, which is hardly a large enough sample to thoroughly assess its accuracy." the duck responded as he placed the viles on Smokey's desk.

"That's good enough for me," Smokey picked up one of the viles and swirled it around, staring as the liquid bubbled inside. "That's all, Drake."

"Yes, of course." the duck nervously backed out of the room and scurried down the hallway.

"Who are you gonna use all that stuff on? I thought you said you were using it more sparingly now that you had more control over Toontown." Oswald raised an eyebrow.

"That's another reason why I asked you up here. Wanted to have a little chat with you about our next victim." Smokey chuckled. Oswald glanced at Bosko with apprehension. Bosko took a deep breath and looked into Smokey's beady eyes, resolved to move past the feelings that churned inside of him from earlier.

"Whatever you need, we're here."


	24. Chapter 24

Dot stared at the thin ray of light that stood stiffly against the green moss blanketing the wall across from her. The dry remnants of what was once a luscious spread over the cracked and charred brick covered the room with a security from the bleak starkness of their other cells.

Yes, she was tired. Yes, she was terrified. The trill of shivers that still shot up her spine had hardly ceased in the past few hours, but scanning the fuzzy forest of minuscule leaves and stems that protruded from the lifeless bed of dark green had given her something to focus on other than the horrors poking at her mind.

Every time she slowly rolled her eyes over the sections of moss that were visible in the strips of light coming from the hall, she found new imperfections in the way it hung; the way the stems twisted and turned with the little reach they were permitted from its tired and tortured roots. Small patches were missing throughout the textured wall, and the difference between the hard brick and crunchy moss created a mosaic of pictures Dot could put together like one would with stars that littered the night sky.

Even when dead, the moss was fascinating. Even with hundreds or thousands of imperfections to the naked eye, there was still something reassuring in the way it sat; in the way it remained even without really living.

Dot drew her eyes away from the moss and glanced over at Bugs for the fifth time in the past minute or so, per the routine she had developed in the several hours since Bosko's visit.

Bugs had slept for most of the time since then. He would occasionally open his eyes and squint in pain when the few bright streams of light that came in through the bars on the door hit his eyes, then shift away from them and fall back asleep. Dot noticed him twitching every now and then, and several beads of sweat occasionally trickled down his face. She tried not to look at the swollen hand prints around his neck, but had grimly noted that they were becoming more defined as time dragged on.

Dot was moving her way through a crinkled curve in the moss when she heard Bugs heave a dry cough. She turned her head towards the rabbit and watched as he tried to gulp down the stale air. He shot open his eyes and forced the strained breaths to even out into a calm rhythm. Once he had managed to breath normally again, he collapsed his head back against the wall and stared at the ceiling.

"Bugs? Are you ok?" Dot asked after observing the rabbit for a moment. She noticed him jump slightly when she spoke up, but some of the tension in his posture disappeared when he looked over at her.

"Yeah," he choked out with a small cough and a harsh rasp to his voice, which had already sounded strained before their earlier encounter with Bosko. "Just a bit sore. Is he gone?"

"It's been hours since anybody's been in here." she replied.

"Good," he breathed. "Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"

"No. He bolted out of here pretty quick after he... well, you know." she trailed off.

"I'm glad you're ok. God knows what could happen in this place," he shook his head. "I'm sorry for all of this, kid."

"Why are you apologizing? It's not your fault these toons are all crazy." she raised an eyebrow.

"I never should have dragged you into this... I should have made you go with Scratchansniff. Hell, it would be better if I never even found you." he looked down at the stone floor and Dot took a deep breath before she began to speak.

"First of all, no one ever makes me do anything, thank you very much. And second, I'd much rather have been with you in the first place. If you hadn't found me I'd probably be dead, or at the very least still looking for my brothers. You helped bring us back together and made us feel safe. Not to mention, you're a pretty cool toon to spend time with," she smiled. "Oh, and your accent is way more tolerable than Scratchy's. I don't think I'd last long with all that schnitzel and sauerkraut talk he spews." she giggled.

"But if you kids weren't involved with me you wouldn't have all these deranged toons after you in the first place." he sighed.

"Eh, minor setback. You made it out alive the first time Bosko was after you, so we've just got to figure out how to make that happen again." she shrugged, curious to see where her newfound optimism came from.

Bugs gave a small snort and shook his head, giving the first hint of a smile Dot had seen from him in days.

"Life's not that simple... but I won't give up until you do- deal?"

"Deal." she grinned and shifted the position she was sitting in. They still had hope at this point, or at least what little of it there still was. She wasn't sure how much she really believed her own words, but would take this over nothing.

They had settled into a comfortable silence when the door creaked open and a sudden flood of light made her flinch back. One of the two rats who brought them a "meal" twice a day came in with two bowls of what she guessed to be another dose of brown slop, or if they were lucky, cold mush that was presumably left over from the rats' meals. To her disappointment, a few brown globs flew out of the bowl when the rat threw it at her feet. At least the mush usually had a kick to it.

"Eat up quick. Smokey wants you two in ten minutes." the rat said as he roughly grabbed Dot's arms and unlocked the chains so she could eat.

"A call before hand would have been nice," Bugs rolled his eyes. "I was going to run some errands this afternoon... or what I presume to be afternoon?"

"Shut it, fluff- you too!" the rat pointed at Dot when she snickered. "I don't get paid enough for this shit..." he grumbled as he unlocked the chains around Bugs's hands.

"Me neither, doc. I think it's time we file a complaint with HR." Bugs reached down and picked up his bowl. The rat growled.

"If I didn't have to bring ya to the boss in a few minuets, I would have socked ya by now, rabbit." he humphed.

"Ehh, I think I've already filled my daily quota for physical altercations, thank you." Bugs said and began to choke down the slop with an impressive attempt at hiding his distaste for it. Dot still couldn't swallow it without crinkling her nose.

"I've noticed and it's being addressed, so shut up and eat."

"You mean there are actually standards in this place? I'm impressed. I would have thought you were just another brainless guard with no sense of ethics."

"He's no Barney Fifth, either." Dot added through a mouthful of mush.

"I'll pound in both of your furry faces if you don't shut up!" he growled.

"Fair enough. Though you're no hairless cat yourself, mac." Bugs pointed out.

"Why you-" the rat started towards him when another rat, who had come in with meals the night before, entered the cell.

"Are they done yet? Smokey's already pissed off and I don't want to be the ones to make it worse." he said.

"Yeah, they're done." the first rat grunted and yanked the bowl out of Dot's hands.

"I'd like the record to show that I wasn't finished." she huffed.

"Boo-who, sweetheart. Some of us have things to do." the first rat said and the second rat started laughing.

"It's just like taking candy from-"

"If you finish that cliche I swear I'll throw up." Dot groaned. She usually didn't test the rats too much, but she doubted either of these two would do any damage to them at this point. She had had several similar exchanges like this with them before and they had never acted then- only threatened to "sock 'em" and left in frustration.

"You'd be the one who cleans it up too, so get over yourself and let's go." the second rat said and pulled her up. He quickly locked the chains around her wrist and pushed her towards the door.

"No dessert? I'm quite disappointed." Bugs added with a small cough. The other rat yanked him up after re-securing his handcuffs and shoved him into place next to Dot.

"Eat dirt then. You rabbits like digging in it enough, anyways."

"It looks like somebody woke up on the wrong side of the sewer pipe this morning." Bugs said.

"Smells like it, too." Dot muttered. The rat beside her grabbed the chain between her handcuffs and started walking faster. She smirked when she saw his jaw grow more tense and his eyebrows furrow deeper.

"If you two don't stop the bullshit I swear I'll- I'll do somethin' you'll regret." he growled.

"I'm trembling with fear." Dot rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry, we'll be good for you in front of your boss, doc. Don't want you to get the pink slip or anything." Bugs added. The rat next to him muttered something Dot couldn't make out, but the corners of her lips curled into a small grin when she saw Bugs smile.

"I'm not interested in seeing the pink in there, but I'm sure you could give me a detailed report on it since your head is so far up Smokey's, doc."

This earned him a push and a "move faster or I'll shove an engine up _your_ ass" from the other rat.

They continued walking and Dot began to grow more weary of their next meeting with Smokey. Their track record with the rat hadn't been too great up until this point, and with the way today was going she could tell it wasn't going to get any better. Ideally they'd get off with only a few more bruises and another redundant lecture. Reality told her they may not get that lucky.

A group of younger looking toons were standing against the wall on the other side of the hallway as they started down the hallway that Dot presumed to be five or so floors below their cell. One of them was a dog whose pants hung closer to his knee cap than his waist, and the human toon and bear that stood on either side of him both wore tattered baseball caps turned around on their heads.

They were quietly chuckling about something the bear had said when Dot passed them. Trying to avoid the usual crude comments and laughter she had received from the toons who worked for Smokey whenever her and Bugs had to be escorted anywhere, Dot turned to her attention to the cinder block wall fused into the metal pipe structure.

"Hey look- it's that Warner girl from that show your sister always watches, Ricky." she heard one of them say. The rat beside her yanked on her shoulder and stopped in front of a large door. The other rat pulled on the door and sighed when it didn't open.

"We gotta wait 'till the boss gets here." he said and leaned against the wall.

She briefly glanced over and saw the dog pointing at her. Surprised to see that he wasn't smirking and muttering rude things under his breath, she turned more towards them.

"Tissy loves that show," said the turtle. "I don't condone watching any of that kid stuff, but it ain't nearly as bad as that Darkwing shit my brother watches."

"Ain't that Bugs Bunny with her?" one of them said.

"Yeah, he must be that high profile prisoner they were talkin' about. Though what's that kid doin' with him?" the bear added, nodding towards Bugs.

"Who knows. It's not my business." the dog shrugged.

"But don't you have an autographed picture of him on your wall?" the turtle chuckled and nudged him.

"That's my mom's! She had a huge crush on him when she was a kid." the dog said through a pink-tinged face.

"Right." the bear rolled his eyes.

She saw the rat next to her start to turn around and look over at the boys. He crossed his arms before clearing his throat.

"What are you three hanging around here for? There's a lounge upstairs for a reason."

"We were just waiting for our friend." the bear replied with a hesitant shrug.

"Well go wait for him somewhere else. This is a restricted area." the other rat added. The boys looked at each other and began to slowly trudge down the hall, muttering something about the rat's bad breath.

"So what's the hold up, doc? You give us a rather ungracious wake up call and then drag us down here for no reason?" Bugs tisked. "Yes, I think a phone call to HR is definitely needed."

"If I have to tell you to shut your furry snout one more time-"

"Can it, the boss is coming." the other rat nudged his partner. They both threw their shoulders back and stood up straight as the larger rat sauntered towards them with a group of toons following him.

"Open the door, dumbasses," Smokey tossed a set of keys to the rat next to Dot. "We've got work to do."

The taller rat quickly shoved the scratched key into the lock and turned it with an aggravated jerk after jiggling it for a moment. He threw open the door and Smokey shoved past him.

"Where the hell is Pete?" he demanded as the rest of the toons, along with Dot and Bugs, followed him into the room.

"I'm sure he's on his way. He's only been late a few times." one of the rats suggested behind him. He hesitantly looked over towards his friend before Smokey responded.

"That's a few times too many. Call him on the coms again."

"They haven't been workin'," said another rat. "Danzy said he found bunch of the wires cut in the control room."

"They're doing electrical work, and you don't need wires to make the coms work, dumbass! Go find him!" Smokey stomped his foot down. He crossed his arms when two more toons came running towards him. Dot frowned when she saw their faces come into view.

"Sorry we're late boss. We got held up with some of the new recruits." Oswald said as he hunched down to catch his breath. A huffing Bosko was beside him, looking around at the various rats while skipping over Dot and Bugs.

"Go get the stuff before I kick your asses and we'll call it even." Smokey growled and pointed to the large boiler in the middle of the room. It clanged and shrieked as a black liquid slowly bubbled over the side of it into the several tubs surrounding it. Dot cringed her nose at the smell that drifted from it.

"Don't you love the smell of fresh ink in the morning." Smokey smirked when he came over to Dot and Bugs.

"I didn't even know it was morning." Bugs said quietly.

"You're right Looney. You wouldn't," Smokey chuckled. He turned back to Tango and cracked his knuckles. "Any update on Pete?"

"He's coming now." Tango responded as he looked out into the hall. He quickly stepped back to avoid being knocked down by Pete as he barreled into the room.

"I'm sorry I'm late boss," he heaved as he handed Smokey something Dot couldn't see, which the rat immediately shoved into his pocket. "Lost track of time-"

"Whatever, where are-" Smokey started before Pete backed up and pulled two toons into the room who were being restrained by a set of human toons. Dot swallowed hard and felt another strike of worry run up her spine when she saw who they were.

"Boy, take your hands off- I say- hands off of me before I take them off for ya!" Foghorn yelled as he struggled against the two toons holding onto him. Daffy stood still next to him, obviously trying to suppress his fear as he hesitantly looked around the room.

Dot felt Bugs go tense next to her, and she inched closer to him. While she was relieved to finally know they were alright, this was the last place she wanted to see them.

"I thought you needed some friends, seeing you were getting so homesick," Smokey said to Bugs. "Though I'm sorry we haven't found your brothers yet, kid. I'm a sucker for family reunions." Smokey leaned down and pinched her cheek. She backed up into the rat behind her in an attempt to get away from him, but was kicked forward when she made contact with his shin. Smokey chuckled and stood back up.

"Now back to you two," he said as he faced Foghorn and Daffy. "Although you made my job a lot easier in the end, I'm curious to learn how you knew where to find us."

"We tripped and fell onto your doormat." Foghorn gruffly replied.

"C'mon, I know you Looneys aren't smart enough to figure these kinda things out on your own," Smokey tisked. "Who tipped you off?"

"Your mother had us over for tea and gave us your address and phone number." Foghorn said with a sarcastic grin.

"This ain't a time for jokes!" Tango snapped.

"Hold on, we'll get what we need." Smokey put up a hand.

"We didn't have a source," Daffy offered. "We were just looking for you and eventually we found you. That's it."

"Bullshit. If you didn't know where we are then how would you know to jump in a goddamn sewer to get here?" Tango said.

"You're rats. It's not hard to put two and two together." Foghorn replied dryly.

"He has a point, doc." Bugs added.

"Keep it shut over there!" Tango called out as he moved in front of Daffy. He tugged on the duck's neck and shook him. "Now answer the boss's question."

"We did!" Daffy cried.

"Honestly, I mean!" Tango shook Daffy harder when he stayed silent.

"Don't push them Tango. We'll give them a few more chances," Smokey started before turning back to Foghorn and Daffy. "I'm an understanding toon. If you don't want to tell me your sources that's okay. In fact, if you can enlighten us with any information about where the other little Warner brats are, we'll let all of this go."

"But Smokey, how are those runts anymore valuable than these two?" Pete started before Smokey put up a hand to silence him.

"Let the birds reply." Smokey said and looked at Foghorn and Daffy with a waiting look. Dot saw a surprised looking Bosko whisper something into Oswald's ear, which seemed to wash away the air of confusion on his friend's face.

"We don't have any clue where those boys are, and if we did- I say- if we did, we wouldn't tell you." Foghorn said.

"Yeah, what he said." Daffy added.

"Are you sure you don't know anything about where they are?" Smokey pushed.

"Why do you want to know about them anyway?" Bugs spoke out, articulating what Dot was already wondering. Smokey already had her to use as leverage, so why would he need her brothers, too? They were stars, sure. But they were nowhere near the status Daffy and Foghorn had obtained. Wouldn't that make them less valuable in Smokey's eyes?

"Just answer the question!" Smokey growled and clenched his fists. Dot took a deep breath when she saw a crazy glint flash across Smokey's eyes.

"Boy, how long does it take you to process simple things in that twisted head of yours? No means no!" Foghorn huffed.

"So you won't tell us how you found us?" Tango crossed his arms.

"There's nothing to tell." Daffy said with a suddenly hard resolve.

"Are you sure?" Smokey cocked an eyebrow.

"As sure as you are stupid." Foghorn said.

Smokey nodded his head and looked down at the ground. An uncomfortable wave of silence washed over the room as he stood still. Dot kept her eyes set on the rat. Like the rest of the room, she was curious- while still anxious- to see why the rat had yet to act. He finally began to pace towards the pair with his hands shoved firmly into his trouser pockets and stopped in front of them.

"Alright. Some time locked up in isolation should do you good and help you think about the alternatives," Smokey took a deep breath. "We'll wrack your little minds again later."

"Little minds? Boy, you've got a brain the size of the nail on a baby's pinky and enough talent to fill a teaspoon, and the rest of the world knows it, too." Foghorn scoffed.

"What was that?" Smokey demanded as his nostrils flared.

"Foghorn, don't!" Bugs yelled before the rat behind him clamped a hand across his mouth. The rat quickly removed it when Bugs chomped down on his finger.

"I'm one of the most intimidating and well known toons in Toontown's history," Smokey hissed, taking a step towards Foghorn. "Everyone reveres me."

"Fame doesn't fix stupid. Or anything else, for that matter." Foghorn spat.

Smokey glared up at Foghorn, rage boiling in his eyes and eventually rushing through the rest of his body. In one swift motion, the rat reached into his pocket, unscrewed a small vile, and threw its contents into Foghorn's face.

The rooster blinked his eyes shut and stumbled backwards as a muffled cry came from Bugs. Foghorn slowly opened his eyes and looked down at himself as black liquid ran down his front. His beak fell open as he watched a grey stain spread across his skin. Slowly, his chest and stomach were tainted with the dull coloring, which eventually reached his limbs. With one last panicked look at Bugs, the grey washed across his face and any emotion faded away.

"Foghorn?" Daffy called to his friend with panic straining his voice. His eyes began to well when there was no reply. "What did you do to him..." he trailed off and Smokey chuckled.

"What you should try to avoid."

* * *

"My god, this goop follows a guy everywhere." Yakko shuddered as another thin streak of slime dripped onto his head. He pulled a cloth from out of his hammerspace and wiped it off of his head with a frown. He could understand that an abandoned sewer system was no squeaky clean palace, but if he was working for Smokey, he'd at least try to keep the place up to the correct building and sanitation codes- or at least find someone to. No one should tolerate being surrounded by filth 24/7.

Then again, he wasn't too sure he'd have the time or guts to tell these gangsters that cleanliness should be their main concern. They seemed to have their plates full enough with taking over Toontown and ruining his and his siblings' lives.

"Yakko, I think we went the wrong way again." Wakko sighed next to him and sat down.

"How can we be going the wrong way when we don't even know where we're going?" Yakko shrugged.

"It feels like we've been everywhere already. I just don't know what to do..."

"If we're lucky we'll run into Dot and Bugs without getting caught by the rats and be on our jolly way out of here." Yakko nudged him with a small, unconvincing smile.

"You're so optimistic it's gross." Wakko muttered.

"Not optimistic, Wak; desperate," Yakko said, skirting out of the way of another falling drop of slime. "Now keep going. We're not going to save Dot by sitting around and contemplating why we're sitting around."

"I just wish we knew where to go." Wakko sighed, the faint etches of defeat quickly becoming more prominent on his face.

"It's not like we can pullover and ask for directions, sib. We've gotta figure it out ourselves, and we will," Yakko put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Nothing ever comes easy, but you can't give up so quick. You think Isaac Newton got all those theories right on the first try? Or that we made Scratchy lose his hair all in one afternoon?"

"No."

"Well then there you go. We've gotta keep going or else nothing's going to help her."

"Alright... alright," Wakko inhaled. "Though we've got to figure out a new way to find her." with a determined look on his face and his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth, Yakko held in a chuckle as he watched his brother's gears turn in his head.

He looked up around the continuous system of tunnels and pipes looping in and out of the hallway that had a large set of doors at the end of it. He peered around the corner they were sitting behind to look through the dirty glass panels in the doors, and quickly dodged back behind the wall when he noticed a group of toons about to enter the hallway.

"Someone's coming." he hissed to Wakko, who inched closer to the wall.

"Can't believe they wouldn't let us stay there," a young sounding voice rang out as the doors clanked open. "I knew that room was restricted, but no one's ever said the hall outside of it was. If Bugs Bunny can hang outside of there than why can't I? It's a free country, ain't it?"

"I don't think he was out on R&R like us," said another toon. "You saw those shackles."

"I know, but I really didn't want to go up six floors just to go sit on a ratty ass couch in a ratty ass room with a bunch of rats. 'There's a lounge upstairs' my ass," another toon added through a string of voice cracks. "I don't even think there is a lounge on this floor!"

"Whatever. I just wanna relax before we go back to cleaning duty tomorrow."

"I thought we'd actually get in on the action if we joined, but so far the only action I've gotten involves a sponge and every freaking urinal in this place."

"Don't remind me," one of them sighed. "I'm sure they'll promote us soon enough."

"It's been a month! I'm sick of this." another one hissed.

"Don't let them hear you say that. My cousin got two weeks of boiler room duty for complaining about working in the cafeteria."

"Ughh, let's just go get a drink or something. God knows I could use one."

Yakko listened as their footsteps faded off and waited for a moment before checking to see they were gone. He turned to Wakko once he felt it was safe to continue.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking sib?" Yakko grinned.

"That there are actually sanitation standards in this place?" Wakko snorted.

"Actually yes, but no," Yakko smirked, glad that years of him drilling the need for cleanliness into his siblings' heads had at least made a dent. "They said they just saw Bugs six floors below us-"

"So that means we know where they are?" Wakko smiled.

"Bingo! They didn't say if Dot was with him, but it's the best we've got." Yakko replied, pulling up Wakko from the ground. He turned and scouted out the hallway once more before he took off towards the stairs with Wakko trailing behind him.


	25. Chapter 25

**Only one or two more chapters after this. I'm going to Europe for a month (yay!) but will be without wifi (boo) while I'm there so I'll try my best to wrap this up before I go in a few weeks. And again, sorry for the wait. I wanted to get this chapter right so it took a bit longer than anticipated. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"Wakko! Don't run ahead!" he heard Yakko hiss to him as he practically sprinted to the door they had just seen a hoard of rats crowed through. Smokey, Tango, and several smaller rats holding prisoners (who he couldn't see) were among them- a positive indicator that they were hopefully closer to their sister.

Wakko stopped next to the door and waited for his brother to catch up. He went to reach for the handle when Yakko quickly slapped his hand away from it.

"What do you think you're doing? We can't just waltz in there and demand they give us our sister- that's suicide!" Yakko said. "We're going to have to wait out here for them or find another way in."

"Like through that loading dock?" Wakko pointed to the large roll-down door that was mostly closed, save for the gap between it and the floor that they could easily crawl under.

"Yes, like that loading dock. See how much easier things can be when you stop and think for a second?" Yakko pointed out. Wakko rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah..." he muttered and started towards the door with Yakko close behind.

He kneeled down next to it and peered in through the opening. A large mound of boxes, trash bags, empty barrels, and an array of other items about to be thrown out blocked most of the door. He saw a small area still hidden by the trash that looked like it had enough room for them to hide behind.

"I'll go first." Yakko whispered. He easily crawled under it and looked around before motioning for Wakko to follow him.

Wakko crouched against an empty box and looked over it, making sure his form was still hidden behind the other trash. His heart skipped a beat when he saw his little sister across the room. They finally found her.

"Uh-oh." Yakko nudged him and he turned his attention to the toons around Dot. He didn't like seeing an intimidating looking rat holding her, and he didn't like that Bugs, Foghorn, and Daffy were all in similar positions. He especially didn't like seeing Smokey leering down at his sister.

"Looks like we got here just in time." Wakko growled. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Remember what I said before we came into the sewer, Wak? That if anything happens and I tell you to run, you run?" Yakko sighed.

"Yeah... I do." Wakko bit the inside of his cheek.

"You promised you'd do that. I'm expecting you to follow through," he gripped his shoulder harder. "Please."

Wakko looked into his brother's eyes then down at the floor. He didn't want to leave his friends, his sister, or his brother when they needed help, but he didn't want Yakko to worry...

"Alright."

Yakko sent him a small smile before turning back to the scene unfolding in front of them. They looked on as rat moved from each of their friends and Dot, growing angrier with each exchange.

"How are we gonna help them?" Wakko asked.

"I'm not sure. Just play it by ear, at this point," Yakko nodded. "If we go out there too soon we'll all be screwed."

Wakko looked back at Smokey and winced when he saw Foghorn and him in an intense argument. Bugs seemed to be trying to calm their friend down but to no avail.

"What's that he's got in his hand?" Wakko asked as Smokey pulled something out of his hammerspace.

"Nothing good, I'm sure." Yakko shook his head.

They looked on as Smokey moved closer to the rooster and smiled. With a swift movement of his wrist, black liquid splashed out of the small vile he was holding and down the front of Foghorn. Wakko's breath hitched when he saw the color drain from their friend.

"Things just got a bit more hairy." Yakko squeaked. Wakko nodded silently in agreement.

* * *

Dot stared at Foghorn in disbelief. Every part of him looked as dull as a sunless day; the gray covering his body in a uniformed bleakness. She searched his blank expression for any sign that he was okay, that he was still aware of the situation. But the playful twinkle that usually danced in his eyes was replaced by two stone-like orbs void of any life.

Smokey had been talking to Pete and some of the other rats about something for the past few minutes, but Dot wasn't listening. Her eyes were glued to Foghorn's lifeless shell and Daffy's shuddering form in front of him.

She didn't know what to do- or even think- at this point. Was she ever going to go home? _Probably not,_ she thought. But what even was her home now? Everything she had ever known in her life as a cartoon star was gone. The tower. Her brothers. And now, most of her friends.

Where would it all end?

"Answer him, girl!" Pete snapped her out of her mournful trance with a bark. She blinked her eyes and looked up at him.

"W-what?" she croaked.

"He asked where your brothers were." Tango replied.

"I don't know." she said, shrugging her shoulders. Smokey walked closer to her.

"I think you do. Where did you last see them?" he said, staring down at her.

"I don't know- I didn't know where we were then." Dot said. She looked up into Smokey's eyes, then back at Foghorn. He was still motionless and without his signature spark. She took a deep breath and looked back up at the rat.

"I don't believe you," Smokey tisked. "We found you in the Toontown district where you used to live in that orphanage-"

Dot raised an eyebrow at this. "How do you know that?"

"-so don't play dumb with me, kid," Smokey seethed, leaning down in her face. "You'd know that place if you saw it. Give me an idea about where they are and no one gets hurt."

"You've already hurt toons." she responded through gritted teeth.

"Correct, and I still have more that I can hurt- yourself included," Smokey took a deep breath. "Tell me where they might be and we can avoid that."

"I don't know!" she shot back.

"You're lying!" he was only inches away from her face now.

"How can I be lying when I haven't been able to talk to them in weeks- because you've kept me here!" she shouted, her pent up anger and frustration now pouring out of her without control. "It's all your fault you don't have them. You could have taken them plenty of times, but you didn't- you let them go. Not to mention you're too dumb to keep up with them!"

"I ain't dumb!" he pushed his finger deep against her ribs.

"They could be anywhere by now, and all the places they would have gone to are pretty much gone because of you. If you really aren't dumb, you wouldn't have to rely on a six year old to help fix the problems you created," Dot heaved. She heard Bugs start to try to talk her down but she ignored him. "Why do you even care about finding them?"

"Because I thought I'd have you all by now!" he shouted with a more of a boiling rage than she had ever seen from him and shoved her against the rat that was still holding her, who also slightly recoiled at the rat's outburst. Pete hesitantly stepped forward before she could react.

"Boss, maybe you should take a few deep breaths," he offered with a nervous smile. "You know, go to your happy place or something."

"That won't make me feel better, dumbass!" he seethed. "Getting what I want will!" Dot shook her head at the rat- who currently resembled a three year old having a melt down in a supermarket, even though the anger rolling off of him was much more terrifying- and sat up straighter.

"You think you can take whatever you want, but you can't," she said, growing more angry with each word. "The world doesn't revolve around you, and wouldn't care about you if you didn't try to screw up Toontown!"

"Dot, don't push him!" Bugs half-commanded-half-pleaded before the guard shoved him to be quiet.

"Shut up, bunny. This doesn't concern you." Smokey spat at Bugs.

"Then why did you go to all that trouble to get him?" Dot asked with a cocked eyebrow. He moved in front of her again and leaned down.

"Because I needed him to get to you." Smokey grabbed the neck of her shirt and pulled her so close that all she could see were the darks of his eyes swollen with rage.

"What are you talking about, doc?" Bugs said with a panicked edge to his voice.

"When I saw you with the girl after the earthquake, I figured that if I can get to you, I can get to her. You'd never leave a damsel in distress, so of course you'd watch over her and her snotty little brothers when they had nowhere else to go," Smokey shrugged. "I realized you could help our cause once we found you all, but I don't give a two shits about you in the end, Looney."

Dot cocked an eyebrow at the rat. Why would he want her and her brothers? They were just a bunch of kids. Famous kids, but still just kids. What value were they to him? Dot was about to voice her confusion when she heard one of the other toons softly speak up.

"What?"

She looked over and saw Bosko step forward with Oswald's hand on his arm. Bosko quickly shoved it off and moved towards Smokey. "I thought you were getting him as a favor to me."

Smokey looked between Bugs and Bosko before letting go of Dot.

"It doesn't matter how or why we got the bunny- we have him now, and when all of this is over you can do whatever you want with him," Smokey said.

"But you said you'd get him to help me." Bosko said slowly.

"Isn't the fact that we have him at all good enough?" Smokey snapped, looking annoyed at Bosko. "None of the rest matters now."

"But-" Bosko started before he was cut off by Smokey.

"Just drop it! We have more important shit to worry about than how I got you what you want," the rat turned to Oswald. "Go find Gonzo. He's supposed to bring up a few more prisoners."

Oswald nodded and sent a quick nod to Bosko before leaving the room. Smokey turned his back to Bosko and once again sent a chilling smile towards Dot. "One more try, girl. Where are your brothers?"

"I. Don't. Know." she said, exasperated. She swallowed hard when she found him looming over her once more.

Smokey bore his glare into her once more, scrutinizing the furious determination that she tried to maintain on her own face. He kept staring, kept rolling his gaze over her. Her heartbeat started to pick up, and she hoped the small shivers running down her spin weren't visible. He crept closer to her and reached up at her bow that sat loosely on her head. She tried to move her head away from his hand but he caught her bow with a swift swish of his hand. She could feel him finger the dirty fabric and wanted to do nothing more than run out of his reach.

"Fine," he said with a hollow indifference. "Maybe the rabbit knows?"

"I have no idea where they are." Bugs said, looking back and forth between Dot and Bosko's hold on her bow. His eyes were wider than usual, and an uncharacteristic pout pulled at his mouth. Dot frowned. Once the famously stoic rabbit lost his sense of cool and calm, the rest of them were doomed.

"How do I know you're not trying to cover for them?"

"Because I would have told you they were in some random district, or would have told you to go to hell," Bugs said with a deep, almost desperate breath. "Believe me when I say none of us know where they are, doc."

"Don't worry rabbit, I believe you." he said and Dot saw Bugs visibly relax. Smokey let go of her bow and moved out of her line of sight.

"You know, it's a dammed shame you're going through all of this alone, girl. Without your brothers, I mean," she felt him pat his hand on her shoulder. "You three seem so close. It would probably be easier on you if they were here with you right now."

"What do you know?" she spat back. She glared at him when he began to chuckle.

"I know I would have loved to see your brothers go down with you too, but we're just gonna have to save that for another day."

"Wha-" she squeaked before he wrapped a strong arm around her torso and lifted her up in the air. Blood was pounding in her ears and she froze when she saw a syringe filled with black ink in Smokey's free hand. She heard Bugs yelling as she tried to squirm out of the rat's grip. Yet the more she squirmed the more he squeezed her against his chest. Running out of options, she resorted to Yakko's "sibs' rule number seven-" If a creepy guy ever got too close to you, kick him in the netherregions.

Dot wound up her leg and was ready to transfer all of her anger and panic swiftly into his crotch. But right as she was about to kick, she found herself falling to the floor and landing with a grunt. She turned around and found Yakko on top of Smokey while the syringe of ink rolled away.

"Yakko?" she called out, ready to run forward and help him before another rat grabbed onto her.

"Hey sis!" Yakko grunted back as he narrowly dodged Smokey's hand grabbing for his ears. "Woah! Nobody likes a Grabby Gary on the first date, you know!"

Dot watched Yakko struggle to stay on top of Smokey, shocked, thrilled, and terrified to see her brother again, especially here. Yakko had just missed Smokey's swipe for his tail when Dot felt herself once again fall to the floor and land on her bottom. She scooted herself around (her arms and legs still tied) and found the rat who had been holding her in a fetal position with his hands placed firmly on his crotch, and a smirking Wakko next to him.

"Rule number seven is the only one I like, you know." Wakko said and scratched the back of his neck. She smiled and shuffled towards him.

He wrapped her in a tight hug, then pulled out a small Swiss army knife- one she knew he had hidden from Yakko since Max Goof had given it to him last Christmas- and cut her bindings.

"Don't bother with the bracelet," she nodded to towards her ankle. Looking up at the spectacle still taking place in front of her, Yakko had retreated behind a stack of crates and was chucking pies, bombs, and other objects at the rats charging towards him. "We need to help him!" she called out.

Wakko grabbed her hand and ran towards their brother. She stumbled in the first few steps she took, and Wakko slowed so she could find her footing. It felt odd to be able to move so freely again. But when she saw the rats getting closer to Yakko, who now had sweat pouring down his face, she ignored the weird tingling in her legs and ran to help her brother.

"What are you doing standing around?" Smokey yelled over his shoulder as he dodged a dynamite stick. "Get them!"

Dot turned around and suppressed a shriek when she saw Bosko running at them. Several more rats were now moving in on them from the other side of Wakko.

"Wakko-"

"I know, I see them." she heard her brother say, panic ebbing at his voice.

Dot and Wakko were nearly next to Yakko when Tango suddenly blocked their view of their struggling brother. They skidded to a stop and looked up at the rat, who seemed ready to pounce on them the moment they took a step forward.

"Come here, kids. We don't got all day."

Dot craned her neck so she could see Yakko around the rat's hulking form. He was drenched with sweat and had resorted to throwing pies, too tired to chuck anything more substantial. Smokey and Pete were closing in on him, the custard fillings of the pies failing to slow them down as well as the bombs had. She watched Smokey swiftly hop over the feeble barrier protecting Yakko and pinned him down. He reached into his hammerspace as Yakko struggled under him and pulled out a small vile.

"Get out of here, sibs!" Yakko screamed. Dot wanted to run forward and help, but several other toons had joined Tango in barring them from the door. Panicking, Dot looked over at Yakko for some sort of guidance (though how he could help them right now, she didn't know). She felt ready to upchuck the little "food" she had in her stomach from what she saw happen next.

With a terrorizing grin, Smokey unscrewed the cap and let the smooth black liquid leak down onto Yakko's chest.

Dot closed her eyes. She didn't want to see another innocent toon fall victim to Smokey. She didn't want to see her brother fade away from her.

"You can't help him! Go!" she heard Bugs choke out with a yell.

She hesitantly looked up at Wakko. His eyes were wide and his mouth pulled into a small frown. She could tell he was thinking, but she was so rapt with pain and tired of feeling it she could barely squeak out his name.

"Wakko-"

Dot yelped when he jerked forward with a firm grip still around her wrist and took off towards the door, skirting out of the way of the rats that grabbed for them. They were nearly at the door when Pete blocked their path.

"Aww, you're brother is gonna miss ya if you leave," Pete chuckled. "Why don't you stay and join him?" Dot was about to back up when she felt Wakko put a hand on her shoulder.

"There's a ladder over there that goes to a catwalk or something-" Wakko whispered. "It's better than just standing here."

He started running again and Dot followed. He lifted her up and she clung to the rungs, moving as quick as she could up them with him closely behind her.

"Come back!" she heard someone shout and felt the ladder vibrate as someone else got on it. She didn't turn to see who it was, afraid that she would panic if she saw how high up they were. Her heartbeat was already getting faster with each step she took away from the ground.

She heard Smokey's chillingly recognizable voice call out. "Bosko, with me! Tango's to big too big to fit up there."

They finally reached the top and ran down the catwalk. The smell of the ink was nauseating up here, and she momentarily blanched when she saw the top of the massive vat of ink beside them. The cursed liquid boiled and bubbled with a nasty hiss.

Both gulping for air, Dot and Wakko turned around to find Bosko and Smokey slowly inching towards them.

"Follow me and we'll make this as quick as possible." Smokey stuck his hand out, inviting them to come forward.

"Why?" Dot asked.

"I don't feel like lugging your dead weight down the ladder." Smokey snorted. Dot took a small step forward, furrowing her eyebrows.

"No, why do you want to hurt us? What did we ever do to you?"

"It's not what you did, kid." Smokey tensed. She felt Wakko's arm brush her shoulder as he stepped into place next to her.

"It's what Herman did, isn't it?" Wakko said slowly. "Our Grandfather- You think he took your career."

"I don't think, I know!" Smokey hissed, shoving a pointed finger in their direction. "I was supposed to get that contract, not him!"

Dot saw the ink start to bubble even more intensely beside Smokey, who was standing next to the vat. Bosko was next to the catwalk railing, and the nervous shift he made when a steaming glop of it landed a few yards away showed he had noticed it, too.

"Why go after us then? We never even met him!" Wakko said, his voice growing louder.

"Because you've got his blood running through you!" Smokey yelled. The reflection of the ink bubbling in the vat danced in his eyes. "I'd rather have him here to ink- or better yet kill- but you three are the closest thing to him I can find. You'll have to do."

"I thought you killed him already!" Wakko raised an eyebrow. Dot had no idea her Grandfather's name was Herman, let alone how much her brother knew about him. "I heard a bunch of rats killed him."

"Everyone just assumed I killed him, but I was in New York that night. Some robber killed him- a freak shooting or something," Smokey took a deep breath. "If I had killed him, none of us would be here right now. So shut up and let's get this over with." He pulled out two more syringes and Wakko moved slightly in front of Dot. She put a hand on his shoulder and looked up at the toons in front of them.

"You're just like him," Dot pointed to Bosko beside him. "You're only doing all this because you're stuck in the past."

She saw Bosko's mouth twitch and something she couldn't read flash across his features. But Smokey's growing anger pulled her attention away from him.

"I'm doing this because I have no other choice, dammit! He took something of mine, so I'll take something of his. An eye for an eye."

Smokey started towards them with a determined strut, his glare turning into a sadistic smile as he got closer to Wakko and Dot. She wanted to close her eyes and pretend she was somewhere else, safe from the rat and the ink and the horrible things that came with them. Wakko squeezed her hand as tightly as he could, his fear finally obvious with the nervous shivers she felt run through him.

Smokey was only a few steps away now, his hands ready to stick those damned needles into them. He was about to jab one into Wakko when a toon suddenly jumped on him from behind, making him drop the syringes.

Dot saw Bosko's head bob over Smokey's shoulder. He kicked Smokey in the sides, successfully making him back away from Dot and Wakko. Smokey was thrashing, trying to get Bosko off of him. The smaller toon pulled on the rat's fur as hard as he could, and did so for several more moments. With a dramatic jerk, Smokey shook Bosko off of him.

"What do you think you're doing? You piece of shit- never think before you act, do you?" Smokey shook his head. He loomed over Bosko and kicked him in the side, making the toon grunt in pain. "How dare you try to go against me! You'll pay for- UMPH."

Bosko charged into Smokey, rage painted across his face. The rat tried to shove him off but Bosko kept a firm hold around his arms and torso, pushing him closer and closer to the vat of ink. Dot held her breath as the two danced on the edge of the catwalk. With one last burst of energy, Bosko rammed against his body and Smokey lost his footing.

Time seemed to slow down for a moment. Dot looked on in horror as they began to fall, Bosko's eyes catching her own as he tipped over the edge with Smokey firmly gripping his forearms. For the first time since she had met him, he didn't glare at her or look consumed with hatred. His eyes were softer and more tired looking than she had ever seen. Then, as if they had been erased from the room all together, his body and Smokey's disappeared into the boiling pool of ink.

It took Dot several moments to process what had just happened. She and Wakko were supposed to be lifeless gray heaps right now, but here they stood wholly intact. Her eyes were locked on the spot where Bosko and Smokey had just stood. What felt like hundreds of questions swarmed in her mind, but she couldn't find the words to ask them. That and the biggest answer she sought after had just been swallowed by the blackness still bubbling next to her.

"Dot..." Wakko's soft voice snapped her out of her trance. She shook her head and focused on a new occupant on the catwalk. Pete was huffing his way towards them after somehow climbing the ladder without breaking it, or one of his swollen limbs.

"You kiddies... come here... nice and slowly," Pete breathed, sweat soaking through his fur and hideous green and peach Hawaiian shirt. He took one more step towards them before stopping and looking around in confusion. "Where's the boss?"

Wakko pointed at the vat wordlessly. Pete's mouth fell open, shock freezing him in place. The overstuffed toon didn't seem to know what to do or where to go, but with a mighty groan, the rusted catwalk decided his next position for him.

"Ahg-" Pete squawked as the thin metal floor gave out under him and sent him falling to the hard concrete floor below. But as if it were a planned gag on set, the array of ropes that hung above and below the catwalk wrapped around him, cocooning him in safety from the potentially fatal fall.

Dot and Wakko shifted forward and looked down at the toon. Dot, now realizing how far up they really were, stumbled back from the hole and shut her eyes.

"You alright, Dot?" she heard Wakko ask.

"Yup- just don't like heights." she squeaked.

"What's going on up there?" a gruff voice called out from below.

"Uhh... Smokey is... dead?" Wakko called back, still trying to process what had just happened. The other rats and toons in the room started to shout back up at them so loudly Dot could only make out some of what they were saying.

"What?"

"How?"

"Are you sure?"

"I'm coming up to check!"

"No you're not, Tango!"

Dot heard a crash and someone scream "Here's another syringe!"

"What's going on, Wak?" Dot called out, slowly opening her eyes and keeping her gaze from drifting to the ground below. She shuddered when she saw her brother leaning over the edge of the railing at the scene below.

"A bunch of the toons- even the rat ones- are going after some of the bigger rats? I think some of them used to be in cartoon shorts, but I haven't seen them in a while. They're really old-"

"Good observations, 'Sky News Four,' but what are they doing?" Dot sighed.

"One of them picked up a syringe and stuck it into the really big rat's calf- ooh, that's gonna look bad in the morning."

"What?" she called back.

"The rat kicked him in the face, but I think he's ok. Now the rat fell over and he's all gray," Wakko put his elbow on the railing and rested his chin against his palm. "Yep, he's a goner."

"What about the other bad guys?"

"They're all just standing there- wait, a few of them are starting to move. One of them is... untying Bugs?"

Confused by why the toons who had been actively trying to ink and/or kill her over the past few months were now helping her friend, she scooted closer to Wakko and strained her ear so she could hear better.

"Are you kids okay up there?" she heard one of the rats call out.

"Why would you care?" she shot back, really wishing she could finish the conversation on the ground.

"We ain't gonna hurt you. We're just as happy he's gone as you are." another voice added.

"Yeah, he was hell to work for. I haven't slept in weeks because he's been workin' me so hard! And in the boiler room of all places!"

Dot looked over at Wakko again. "Should we go down?"

"The alternative is rotting thirty feet in the air." he answered.

Dot stood up on shaky legs and shuffled towards her brother, who grabbed her by the shoulders and started to guide her around the hole in the catwalk. She didn't know why, but she suddenly whipped her head around and stared down the hole at the drop below.

"It's okay, Wak. I can do it." she shrugged his hands off from her shoulders and walked around the hole to the ladder. She took a deep breath and started her descent down; her fear of being so high up thankfully beginning to dwindle.

Her limbs started to ache and her head pound. The adrenaline that had kept her from having a full on panic attack was sadly draining with each step towards the floor. She wanted to sit down and properly process all that had just happened in this room; all that had been happening for months. As soon as her and Wakko's feet finally touched the ground, she felt an arm pull her tight against a grimy t-shirt clad chest. The same was done to Wakko.

"Are you two alright? Did they hurt you?" Bugs sputtered, holding them out so he could search them for any sign of injury.

"We're fine." she said, relieved to find the rabbit hadn't been inked in their absence.

Dot gave a meek smile that fell as soon as she saw Yakko's still form across the room. Bugs must have noticed this as he pulled them against him again. She rested her cheek against his shoulder and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to keep several tears from sliding down her face.

"It's okay, kids," Bugs said softly. "We'll straighten this out somehow."


End file.
